Ride The Lightning
by NovelistOfTheSky
Summary: Long ago,a dark sovereign was sealed away.Now he is free and begins to hunt.With the Soverigns in danger,the Royal knights take action.The Digidestined must try to stop the evil soverign and survive the Royal Knights assualt.
1. Return to Odaiba

Helllllloooooo! This is the sequal to "Trial and Error". For those who are stumbling across this story, feel free to read that first. However, you should be able to read this without it if you really wish too. I don't own Digimon, just Will, David, Adam, Lightmon and his other forms. All other Oc's belong to the respective writers on this site.

I also completely forgot to thank Rzen for reviewing "Trial and Error", it's good to know you're still here.

I understand this chapter is short, but it's just to break everyone into it. Plus I felt it was too long since I had written anything so this was fun for me. I hope you read,enjoy and review.

* * *

A cold mist engulfed everything, hiding things from plain sight. Metal groaned under the cold. Birds flew away, trying to escape the deadly mist. People shielded themselves, this cold wasn't natural. It was an unearthly chill. A grey sky surrounded the entire city. Nothing felt safe. Four figures stumbled into a small apartment. Almost as if they were the four horse men of the apocalypse. No one said anything. Skin unnaturally pale, eyes strangely narrowed. Black rings around the eyes. Lightning boomed behind them, giving them an unnatrual look.

"We must never speak of that road trip again." One of the figures said weakly. The others nodded in agreement. All four advanced into the small,messy apartment,one closing the door behind them. One stopped suddenly, all balance lost. Crashing to the floor, the young man made a sickening thump on the floor. Dropping the bags in random places, the remaining three crashed onto the empty sofas and chairs. The red headed boy took a seat near a large table before burying his head into his arms on the table.

"You alive over there Izzy?" One of the young men with a slight Irish accent asked. An inhuman sound escaped Izzy.

"That's a yes." Will couldn't help but smile. Izzy's hair was no longer just red. Pink highlights covered at least half of it. Will lay , chaotically spread out on a sofa,facing a tv. He couldn't help but think, Izzy got off easy.

"Is Tai Still breathing?" A young blond man asked, sitting in a chair across from Will. Matt shifted slightly. Half of his left eye brow was missing. The other half had been filled in with a green magic marker. A small black permant marker moustache trailed around his mouth, thanks to Tai. Both Will and Matt shifted to try to glance at Tai, laying face down on the floor.

"You alright Tai?" Will asked. No response came, as Will glanced at Matt. Matt pulled the cushion from behind him, throwing it at Tai's head. They both watched as it bounced off. A small gurgle escaped him. Both Will and Matt couldn't help but smile at Tai. The only thing he was wearing was a pink glitter dress and pink glitter dolly shoes. Thanks to a stripper who had mugged them, choosing to take his clothes as well. Laughing slightly , Will ran a hand through his hair. He hadn't escaped untouched either. A lot of his hair had been burnt and cinged, from many many cooking accidents. Matt groaned, wishing he still had the cushion.

"Here." Will threw a small cushion to Matt, who accepted it grartefully. In the past few months the two had become good friends. Being stuck in the toilets of a strip joint for nine hours can do that. A sudden sense of relaxation and being home filled the small apartment. They had gone back to Matt's simply becuase it was closest. Will closed his eyes, his mind filling with thoughts on the last few months. His mind jumped through the events, recusing Sora, forming the team, fighting David. His mind leapt back,thinking about the conversation he had before leaving on this roadtrip.

* * *

"All set?" Will turned to see Sora standing behind him,watching him packing stuff into his large sports bag. Will smiled .

"Yeah. I owe you for letting me stay here." Will smiled, Sora had let him stay even after defeating David. He'd lived with her for around four months, but he was rarely ever in the house anyway.

"You don't owe me at all." Sora replied easily. She had that look again. Will shifted uneasily, even he couldn't withstand it. His mind flicked to something he wanted to ask her.

"That kiss, when I came back from the Void." Will had wanted to ask this for a while, choosing to leave it till now.

"What did it mean?" He asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer. Sora turned a slight shade of red.

"You were talking a lot and you wouldn't shut up. I thought it would be a good way to stop you. Besides I was excited to see you." She couldn't look at him whilst she told him. Will wanted nothing more than to just kiss her then, prove to her it wasn't just because he was talking. He didn't move.

"I see." Will smiled. He turned and picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He was slightly thrown off balance by the weight.

"I like someone though." Sora said quietly,almost as if she didn't want to admit. Will turned and smiled. He remembered his vow to make her happy. He realised he'd also wear that braclet she gave him for as long as he could.

"You can tell me when I get back. I'll help you get with him then." He gave her a smile and thumbs up, before leaving.

"I'll tell Matt you said hi." He winked as he closed the door.

* * *

Glancing at Matt, Will knew why Sora liked him. Matt had told him of all the things that had happened in the past years with Digimon and her. He couldn't blame her. Will gazed at the ceiling. It had been a long time since he was part of a real group of people like this. Not just a team of Digidestined for a short while, but with actual friends. After sealing the void, Will had somehow run into Trace, the messenger. He had decided to work with him for a bit, before coming back. Will grinned, that was a very interesting time. David. Whenever thinking about a team or friends, Will's mind would return to David. Shutting his eyes and covering them with his hand, he thought about what his friend had done recently. Sacrificing himself so that Will could gather all the data to seal the soverign. Feeling a crushing weight fall onto his body, Will realised his duty was long from over. He hadn't defeated the soverign, he hadn't unsealed the main five soverigns, yet.

"Thinking about David?" Matt's voice broke the train of thought. Will was beginning to realise Matt was very good at reading people.

"Yeah." Will replied quietly. Something moaned on the table across the room. Matt and Will glanced to see Izzy moving slightly.

"I think Mimi is going to love those pink highlights!" Matt joked. Izzy barely raised his head, just enough to see Will and Matt. Both Will and Matt grinned playfully as Izzy glared at them. Will realised,he still hadn't met Mimi yet. His mind wandered to when he last spoke to Gennai, after sealing the Void.

* * *

Will sat across from the young man at a small wooden table. Both had a small cup of tea infront of them.

"So, what did you want to speak to me about?" Gennai placed his small cup on the table and looked directly at Will.

"I called you here because I needed to speak to you about the situation about the Guardians." Will's eyes fell and a sigh escaped.

"So you mean me, Lianne and Adam." Will said quietly.

"Well,no, Lianne is no longer class as a Guardian. Adam is also retired." Gennai took a quick drink from his tea.

"Roughly ten Guardians in each city with a team have been chosen and given Digimon and Digivices." Will's head shot up and glared at Gennai.

"As you are the last offical Guardian, they'll be looking to you as the leader of them. I am aware you are leading a new team. I have invited the leader of each team to come here , at a time of your choosing. You will need to meet them all and explain a few things." Will's head fell into his hands. He realised he should have retired when he had the chance.

"You are the Guardian Primus." Will's groaned at his new title.

* * *

Will shifted on the sofa, he should have that meeting soon. He heard someone moving ,probably Matt. The sound of the tv flooded the room. As Will began to try and listen to it, he felt sleep taking over him. He was the head Guardian. He was the Protector of the Digidestined. He was the leader of a new team. He had to admit, Guardian Primus had a nice ring to it.


	2. The Meeting

I apologise that this is another short chapter but there was honestly no need for it be longer. I hope you read, enjoy and review.

* * *

Waking with a start, Will glanced around the room. Sun gently slid in the split in the curtain. Early morning. Tai was asleep in the same chair Matt had occupied before, a blanket covering him. Still wearing the pink dress. Will noticed he himself was covered by a light pink blanket. His eyes stung. Shutting his eyes again, Will stretched.

"Finally awake then." Will turned to the voice, to see Matt leaning on a counter in the kitchen. A small cup of coffee sat on the table behind him, surrounded by a mess of used dishes. Will scanned the room again quickly.

"Where's Izzy?" His accent was more pronounced, he was still tired. Matt shifted, grabbing his cup of coffee, taking a seat next to Will.

"He left earlier, he left a note in Tai's hair." Matt gestured to the note , carefully lodged in the wild hair. Will laughed quietly. Running a hand through his hair, he vowed to get a haircut today. Matt watched him carefully.

"I can show you a place that does good hair cuts." Matt said before taking a sip from his coffee. Will eyed him nervously.

"This isn't going to be like that time you said you knew a good bar is it?" Matt nearly chocked on his coffee.

"It's not my fault that woman liked you!" Matt burst out laughing at the memory,being careful not to spill his drink.

"Woman! It was a man!" Will narrowed his eyes at Matt.

"I should give Jun your number for that." Will said slyly. Matt went silent.

"Don't you dare. She'll stalk me again!" Matt lost some colour in his face.

"You want to talk to me about stalking? That man followed us for miles!" Matt and Will glared at each other. Neither of them moved. Silence hung between them.

"Tea?" Will started.

"Coffee!" Matt leapt up, heading to the kitchen. Will made a mental note not to let Matt drink so much caffine.

* * *

Will and Matt stood at the edge of a dark alley way. This part of the city was as dark as night, even in the bright sun. A blood curdling scream pierced the air.

"That's the place!" Matt said ,pointing down the alley to a small green door. Will shivered. Something was off about this place.

"Sounds like someone got killed." Will said quietly. Matt smiled.

"That's Eric. He's the hair dresser, that's how he works." Matt said simply. Will turned him.

"What? He kills his customers?" Will said sharply.

"Nope. Besides, looks at my hair, he's good." Matt smiled and pulled Will along to the green door. Soon, Will's own blood curdling scream filled the air.

* * *

A small black void opened in the middle of a forest. Three figures emerged from it silently. One was of average height, covered in brown armour. It weilded a small silver lance. Bright red sash, tied around it's waist. Two small white wings. Long golden mane. A small tail with a golden orb at the end.

"What's the plan?" The second figure asked. A large blue figure,covered in brilliant golden armour.

"You, Magnamon, head to the city. Track him down if possible." The brown figure had a soft yet commanding voice. Magnamon nodded.

"What will you be doing? Leopardmon?"The brown figure, Leopardmon smiled.

"I'll be waiting for Dynasmon to arrive. I'll also be gathering information. Now go. In the name of the Royal Knights." Leopardmon made a swing with his lance,indicating a direction as Magnamon shot off in a direction.

* * *

Will crashed into the floor, skidding a short distance. Swearing as he got up, he wiped his black combat trousers. He had forgotten how rough a Digital port could be. Placing a hand on his hair, he felt the soft shorter spikier hair pinch his hand. It was shorter and neater but still kept the same messy look. Stretching he felt his back click. Carefully looking himself over, he made sure his black combat trousers and black t-shirt were clean. As Will took a few steps forward, he realised he was just outside Gennai's house. He cocked an eyebrow. This isn't where Gennai said he'd set the portal for. Sighing heavily, Will walked forward slowly.

"I hope this meeting doesn't take long." He said to no one but the empty air of the peaceful garden. He had landed in Gennairs fairly large garden that surrounded his house. Will strained his eyes, it was bigger. A lot bigger. Gennai's house only made up a small part of the very large ,very white building. It stretched out, a large two floor building that shadowed Gennai's house. Carefully jumping down the small stone stairs, Will walked into Gennai's house only to be met by a large human android Digimon.

"Uh, hey Andromon." Will said quietly,taken back by surprise. The Andromon said nothing, holding out a wooden box. Andromon passed the box to Will.

"Ganni asks you open this before attending the meeting." Will said nothing and opened the box. A piece of white cloth , with the crest of "The Protector" on it, in dark red. Pulling the cloth out, it unfolded into a large thin white coat.

"This is to be your uniform, as the Guardian Primus." Will sighed, hearing his title yet again and one more thing he would have to do. Will chose not to argue and instead, slipped on the coat. It reached his ankles, in length. He instantly disliked the long sleeves, choosing to roll them up past his elbows. Scartching his head,he made his way through the doors behind Andromon. Gennai stood waiting behind the next door. Will didn't stop as Gennai walked besides him,whispering.

"Take your seat at the head of the table, I will be seated on your right. I will lead this meeting." Will nodded as they entered a great hall. A long wooden table , which could easily seat twenty or more people. Dozens of chairs around the table. A group of people occupied a small amount of the chairs, each with a white coat and his or her symbol on the back. Each person had changed the coat for their preference. One girl had compeltely done up the coat, where as one man had ripped the sleeves off. Only a handful, Will noted. More must be coming later. As Will took his seat at the head of the table, all eyes followed him and studied him.

"Let us begin." Gennai said, taking his seat. Will felt it would be a long meeting.

* * *

The golden warrior, Magnamon floated casually above Odaiba. His eyes scanned every inche possible.

"He's not here." He mumbled to himself. There. Something caught his eye. Something was . It wasn't just moving,it was coming for him. Magnamon's eyes widened in surprise, only barely having time to brace himself before the speeding object crashed into him. Sparks flew as Magnamon blocked a long lance,inches away from his face.

"Gallantmon!" Mangamon shouted, as the two broke apart. Mangamon laughed.

"So the rumour was true! You did side with a Digidestined!" Magamon braced himself,waiting for another attack from the red and white knight.

"You do not chose your human partner. It is fate. Momaru and I are a team. I am still a Royal Knight but if you come here seeking a confrontation with the humans, I will stop you." Gallantmon spoke fiercly before rushing the golden knight. Slamming the knight with his shield, Gallantmon raised his lance and aimed for Magnamon's shoulder. Magnamon gathered a small amount of golden light in his right hand, slamming it into the shield, forcing the two apart. Magamon watched as Gallantmon stood ready for another attack. He was stronger, faster too.

"Is that the power of joining with a Digidestined?" Magnamon asked quietly. Gallantmon didn't reply, instead choosing to move quicker than Magnamon could keep up with. All Magnamon felt was Gallantmon's shield crashing into his shoulder and plumeting to the earth. Magnamon's eyes widened in shock,his armour was cracked. Slamming into the soft earth of a field, Magnamon groaned in pain. Before he could move, Gallantmon's foot landed on his chest,forcing him deeper into the earth. Gallantmon pointed his lance at Magnamon's head.

"Why are you here?" Gallantmon's voice was stern.

"I'm looking for the Gaurdian Primus." Magnamon spat out. "He's been charged with crimes against the Digital world." Gallantmon made no reaction to the news.

"Thought as much. Who's leading the Knights now? Alphamon and Omnimon are busy elsewhere and I'm here. Who is leading you?" Gallantmon put more pressure onto Magnamon's chest. Magnamon felt his chest plate beginning to give way.

"Leopardmon." Magnamon spoke quietly. Gallantmon removed his foot and began to walk away. Magnamon picked himself up as quickly as possible. Raising both arms above his head in preparation for an attack. Gallantmon vanished from infront of him. Before Magnamon knew it, the red and white knight's lance was next to his throat.

"If I find you here again. I will not hesitate to fight and destroy you." Gallantmon warned as Magnamon stopped the attack. The red and white knight vanished, leaving the golden warrior standing alone.

"He's stronger." Magnamon turned to see the brown knight approaching him. Leopardmon.

"I should have defeated him. I apologise." Magnamon looked away,disgusted with himself for losing so easily.

"It was to be expected. He is but one knight however." Leopardmon stood next to the golden warrior.

"We'll just have to attack in force. We'll overwhelm him and take what we've come for." Magnamon nodded, several black voids cracking open beside them.

* * *

Okay I know I ripped off the idea of the Gotei 13 from Bleach but I lacked any uniform for the Gaurdians. Something I completely overlooked.

I would like Oc's for some of the other Gaurdians who were invovled in the meeting so please submit any ideas you have and I will use a few of them in the story.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you review, please let me know what you thought.


	3. Ice Cream

Hey, I finally updated. My life got a bit chaotic there for a little while but I should be updating at a steady rate once again. I hope you read,enjoy and review.

* * *

A false calm swept over the city. Everyone was headed home from work,school,life. Some were just heading out for the nightlife. A long red and white knight stood, hidden beneath some trees, arms folded.

"What's up?" Gallantmon turned to see his partner, Momaru. Saying nothing he turned back, his watch never leaving a certain part of the city in front of him.

"Usually I'm the one who gives the other the silent treament. Now what's up?" Momaru asked, her voice more stern than last time. Gallantmon turned.

"Some other Royal Knights are here." Gallantmon answered simply. Momaru moved so she stood infront of the knight who lumbered over her.

"Isn't that a good thing?" She asked plainly. Gallantmon closed his eyes, his mind drifting back to a time with his comrades. When the fight was good. When the fight was right.

"No." Momaru cocked an eyebrow at his response.

"Why?" She asked sternly. Gallantmon had grown used to her voice like this. She simply wanted to help.

"They're hunting someone." He almost didn't believe he had said it. Momaru folded her arms infront of him.

"Who?" She asked quickly.

"Will." He replied just as quickly, hoping she caught it. Momaru said nothing for a short while.

"Then we'll just have to defeat these Royal Knights won't we? " Gallantmon looked down at her.

"They are some of the strongest Digimon next to the soverigns. " Gallantmon said it quickly and quietly. He knew exactly how strong they were in single combat and as a group.

"Well, We'll just get everyone together for when they come after him. Simple." Momaru smiled, she knew who she'd contact.

"They're already here." Silence fell on the pair.

* * *

Finally glad to be out of the meeting, Will walked slowly along the pavement above a bank by a river. Glad to finally have the weight of the coat off of him and left in the Digital world. He wondered if that's how the rest of his life would be like. Meeting, walk home,meeting,walk home. Groaning, he realised this was he was now. Trapped in a destiny he didn't want. Sure,he could give it up and retire, but then what? Someone else would take over. He didn't trust, someone else. Closing his eyes, a gentle cold breeze engulfed him. He looked down to his left, Lightmon wearing his usual disguise. He had been awfully quiet.

"You alright Lightmon?" Will asked,voice laden with worry. Lightmon stirred, mumbling something. Will nodded. Nerves. He knew Lightmon when he was nervous. Will smiled, Lightmon was nervous about being the Primus Digimon.

"You'll be fine." Will said happily. Lightmon's only reply was to punch behind Will's knee,causing him to crumble to the floor. Will didn't move, choosing instead to rest his cheek on the cold hard surface of the pavement. After being asked by a policeman if he was okay, Will felt it was time to get up. After walking a short distance , Will saw, sitting on a bank, a girl with lavender hair. He watched her as he got nearer, she was just staring into the river, her knees pulled up to her chest. Pink long sleeve top, long purple dress. Will ran a hand thorugh his hair , spotting an ice cream cart near by. Digging out his wallet, he purchased three plain vanilla cones. Handing one to Lightmon, he followed behind Will as he walked behind the girl with lavender hair.

"Want some company?" Will said quietly, hoping not to spoke the girl. He offered her the ice cream. She gave him a stern look. She recognised him.

"I shouldn't accept food from strangers." She said, authority behind her voice.

"I'm much less of a stranger than an ex Gaurdian." Will shot back. Yolei gave him a confussed look.

"Adam." Will said simply, as he sat down next to her on the bank of grass. Yolei studied the ice cream, she decided it wasn't poisionous and enjoyed the free treat. She glanced at Will, Lightmon was sitting close to him,enjoying the ice cream.

"I never expected that guy who came into my store to be a Gaurdian." Will shot her a confussed look.

"The others filled me in." She said simply. Will nodded and grinned.

"Gaurdian Primus." He really was beginning to like that title. It was Yolei's turn to shoot him a puzzled look.

"New title. I'm head of all Gaurdians now." Something sunk inside Will, he wouldn't get to enjoy moments like this much anymore.

"I'm sorry about what Adam did. From what he told me he did actually like you." Will needed to move the conversation on. Yolei nodded.

"What about you and Sora?" Will nearly choked on the ice cream.

"What?" He asked inbetween breaths. Yolei grinned, annoying him was fun.

"You like Sora. It's obvious. She likes Matt , that's obvious. What are you going to do?" Yolei's voice was stern. Will began to realise why she was the second chosen of Sincierity and Love.

"I'll help them get together." Will took a breath. "I technically shouldn't have met anyone here. I was never meant to meet you, I'm supposed to remain in the shadows." Will waved his arms to emphaise how silly it seemed to him. Lieing back into the bank,he failed to notice leftover ice cream in his cone as it spilled out onto his t-shirt.

"Fantastic." He said drly. Yolei laughed at him. Will realised he didn't really know any of the other Digidestined girls other than Sora.

"What was it like living with Sora?" Yolei asked. Will raised an eyebrow, studing her lavender hair.

"Very to the point aren't you? It was fun." Will shut his eyes,memories filling his head. Memories that he had stolen, they were never meant to belong to him.

"I thought she liked you. The way she always talked about you." Will's eyes shot open, Sora always talked about him?

"I could say the same of Tai." Will shut his eyes again. Yolei stared off into the water infront of them, staring at the sun's reflection. She couldn't help but imagine how it could feel, to have your other half trapped and so far away from you like that. Like a sun in the water.

"Love doesn't always work out." Yolei said quietly. Will knew she meant Adam. It was too short for love but Will knew how good it felt to have someone. He also knew how bad it was to lose them as well.

"Could be worse." Will said simply. Yolei scoffed,

"How?" She turned her head to study him. He wasn't that much older than her really.

"Davis could be in love with you." Will grinned,knowing that would get a reaction. He felt a fist collide with his shin as he pulled it away in pain.

"Don't ever put that image in my head again!" Yolei nearly screamed at him.

* * *

Staring out a window, Syao folded his arms, sighing heavily. The tv spoke pointless words to him.

"Relax. Elegon is taking care of it." Turning, he saw Lianne sitting comfortably on one of the sofas in Will's apartment. Syao turned to look out the window again.

"We should be out in groups. The Royal Knights aren't to be messed with Li." Syao frowned, he knew the stories.

"Momaru was able to handle one of them on her own. Elegon will be able to do the same." Syao mumbled something in reply, too quiet for Lianne to catch. Momaru had explained the situation to them.

"Her partner is a Royal Knight." Syao said quietly. Something glinted in the middle of the sky, shooting across the sky. Syao was almost sure, it was another Royal Knight. Lianne watched his back nervously.

* * *

Looking to his side, Will glanced at Yolei who was walking besides him. He had agreed to walk her home.

"It's so obvious Davis likes Kari. I've never really worked with that group but even I can see it!" Will said loudly, Yolei had been filling him in the details of her group. Yolei laughed as Will spoke about Davis. It was obvious to everyone who he liked.

"He doesn't have a chance. She belongs with T.k." She said sternly, as if it was already decided. Will nodded. The two "Angels" of the group were meant to be. Looking around, the streets were emptied. Yolei carried on talking as Will stopped to look around. He could hear slow heavy footsteps.

"Lightmon." He said quietly. Lightmon had already responded to it,removing his diguise. There down the street behind them. A towering black knight was walking towards them. Carrying a large two headed weapon. Yolei stopped and turned.

"Are you listening to me?" As she finished, her eyes caught the black knight walking towards them. It looked deadly and malacious.

"Who are you?" Will shouted at the knight. Stopping, the knight readied his blade.

"I am Craniamon. I am a member of the Royal Knights. I've come here to collect you, Gaurdian Primus." His voice held no hate, but he stood ready to strike them down instantly. Lightmon walked into the centre of the road and faced the black knight , as he was engulfed in a golden light.

"On what grounds do you seek me?" Will stood ready to run if he needed. He knew not to mess with the Royal Knights. Warrior Strikemon held his hand on the seeth of one sword, lowering himself into a stance.

"Arrest. You altered the Digital world by sealing off the Nightmare world. You must be brough to justice." Warrior Strikemon ran at the knight, blade ready. He already knew Will's answer to the statement. The two began a chaotic duel, moving faster than Will could comprehend. The Royal Knight's were truly terrifying opponents. Warrior Strikemon side stepped an attack, allowing Craniamon to stumble forward. Warrior Strikemon aimed his blade for the back of the knight, only for Craniamon to gracefully turn and block it.

"A strong fighter! Wonderful!" Craniamon laughed, running in for another attack as Warrior Strikemon pulled his shield out from under his cape. Sparks flew as the deadly doulbe blade bounced off the shield.

"You okay Yolei?" Will turned to speak to Yolei.

"Yeah. Did you really do that? Alter the Digital world?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"I'll explain later. Move!" Will pushed her out of the way as Warrior Strikemon landed where they had been standing. Quickly getting back on his feet, he ran again at Craniamon. Exchanging several quick blows, Craniamon's double bladed weapon caught Warrior Strikemon's cape,ripping it from him,revealing many seethed swords along his back. Warrior Strikemon blocked another attack with his shield, almost buckling from the strength of it.

* * *

Celemon,the angelic Digimon leapt out of the way of several lightning fast strikes. Elegon watched on, as a white armoured Digimon chased after Celemon. Dynasmon had appeared out of no where demanding Will. The white knight with golden markings adroing it's armour, flew after Celemon. Malicious purple wings. Turning and firing a single arrow, Dynasmon reacted by firing off a small energy ball from his hand. As the two projectiles raced for their targets, they both avoided them, contiuing the battle.

"Come on! You got this!" Elegon shouted from below, hoping Celemon could pull this off. Celemon vanished, reappearing above Dynasmon.

"Meteor bow!" The arrow sent Dynasmon rocketing to the ground. Nothing moved except the dust. Celemon didn't know if she should relax or brace herself for another attack. A slow laugh rose from the dust.

"We will get him. You defeated me this round but more of us will come." The laughing faded away as the dust cleared, showing barely any damage on the ground. Dynasmon had taken the brunt of the attack and escaped.

* * *

Leaping out of the way, Warrior Strikemon barely avoided another attack. Both knights had landed several good hits on each other. Craniamon's armour was only slightly chipped, but several dents decorated his back. Warrior Strikemon's armour was cracked and dented to a rougher extent. Both knights were beginning to get tired,their stances dropping,movements becomming more careless. Warrior Strikemon rushed in again, sword raised.

"Hey Will!" Yolei yelled at Will,who was ready to move if he needed to.

"What?" He was more foccused on the battle than the girl near him.

"You should speak to Sora soon!" Will turned to face her, eyes widened in shock.

"You're giving me relationship advice now?" Will turned back to face the battle, never noticing Yolei putting her hands on her hips. Warrior Strikemon jumped away from them.

"Well, it's been a while since you've both talked!" She shouted at him angrily. She was right, it had been a while since they had spoken. Warrior Strikemon was sent crashing to the floor by a skillful attack. As Craniamon readied his blade for the final blow, dozens of icey feathers overwhelmed Cranianmon. A pure white Digimon resembling Flamedramon with no armour stood ready. Large white wings tipped with gold. Baggy jeans with silver chains. NeoFlamedramon. Turning his head Will saw a familiar figure running towards him.

"Who's that?" Yolei asked with a hint of warning in her voice. Will recognised him from the meeting. Simple blue jeans and a white t-shirt marked with gold. Brown hair and striking golden eyes. Alex Dowski. One of the Gaurdian Captains.

"Looks like you needed a hand." He said ,slightly out of breath. He was very tall,easily above the height of Will and Yolei. Will noted he was around his own age. Will nodded.

"Two on one isn't my style." Craniamon pointed his blade at Warrior Strikemon as he picked himself off the floor.

"I want a fair rematch with you." Leaping up above the buildings, Craniamon vanished.

"Thanks, Alex." Will said queitly, as he watched Lightmon rejoin him, collapsing to the floor exhausted. Picking up Lightmon in his arms, Will turned to Alex.

"What are you doing here?" Will asked simply. He noticed Yolei had said nothing.

"I need to talk to you about the Gaurdians." Alex's eyes shifted to Yolei uneasily. Will nodded.

"Okay,but first I want to make sure Yolei gets home okay." Turning to Yolei, Will recieved a glare strong enough to kill him. Leaning closely to Alex he whispered,

"And to make sure I don't get hurt." Alex simply shook his head, NeoFlamdramon joined them.

* * *

I'd just like to take time to make a note of another writer on this site. Elegon. He is also writing an Oc Digimon story. I suggest you all go give it a look and hopefully leave him a review, he has worked very hard on it and I hope you show him just as much support as you have shown me in the past few weeks.

.net/s/5835678/1/Digimon_Adventure_SynX

Do people like that I put notes about other stories at the end of the chapter? I feel that we should all support each other on this site but if you , the readers, would like me to stop putting links to other stories,just say.

I hope you read,enjoy and review.


	4. Plans And Chances

I apologise for this sadly short chapter. My 6th form is opening soon so the updates will slow to once or twice a week. I'm still trying to fix a routine I can do easily, even if it's short chapters like this. In any case, I hope you read,enjoy and review.

* * *

Littered across the sky,small tiny specs of light decorated the sky. A small group of young adults sat around in a playground, silence becoming their chosen company.

"So, why are the Royal Knight's here?" Tai felt he should at least address why they were there. All eyes turned to him. Shifted slightly on a bench, Will coughed.

"They're after me." Will said with a slight laugh. Yolei glared at him, ending his laughter. She had chosen a seat next to him. She had also shouted at Will and Alex till they agreed to allow her to come this small meeting.

"Maybe we should just hand you over." Yolei said with a stern voice, as she folded her arms. Will shifted slightly away from her. Matt laughed.

"It would be easier." Shifted on the sing, he continued. "But that's not what we'll do." Tai nodded in agreement. They stood together. Izzy chose to stand , leaning agains't a metal jungle frame was uncomfortable and abd for posture.

"So just what exactly did you do to annoy them?" Izzy's eyes focussed on Will, pressing him for honesty. WIll looked away, running a hand into his hair. Standing near by was Alex, Will had put it down to a Gaurdian thing.

"Well you see.." The rest was so mumbled, not even Yolei heard it.

"What was that?" Yolei raised her fist towards Will. Will immediatly cowered from it. Both Tai and Matt looked at each other.

"Alright don't kill me!" Yolei gave him another stern look, as he settled back into a comfortable posistion.

"When I sealed the void here, a few months ago, I ended up in the Digital world. More precisely , the Nightmare World. Using the data from the Nightmare World, I sealed it off. Completely. Blocked every single entrance and exit. I effectivly broke the link between the Nightmare World, the Dream world, our world and the Digital world." Will looked to the floor, the weight of his Digivice was suddenly very heavy.

"You altered the bonds of the worlds?" Izzy's eyes couldn't be any bigger if he tried.

"Yeah. That's why the Knights are after me." Will said quietly. Izzy closed his eyes obviously engulfed in calculations.

"It's not physical possible to seperate the worlds though." Izzy said simply.

"I know. That's why the data has been slowly returning to my Digivice. It backfried on me." Will leaned back in the bench, shutting his eyes.

"Why did you do it in the first place? I know you don't like the palce but that's a bit extreme isn't it?" Matt asked,folding his arms. Will took a deep breath.

"The Nightmare World was created for one reason. It's a prision. It was built to seal away something, so strong and so evil,nothing can stop it. If I could seperate that world from ours, we'd be okay. The defences that were in place on that world are gone." Will tried to close his eyes as tight as possible. Silence overtook the group again,till Will carried on his explanation.

"Originally there were six Soverigns. The Nightmare World was created to seal away one of them. No one could defeat it, simple as that. Anything evil has come from it, everything that is a virus type can be traced back to it. It has no name. It is darkness itself. We're up agains't an actual god." Everyone felt a chill run up their spine.

"The defences are down. The Soviergns have been sealed away. The Royal Knights are coming for me and will go through all of you if they have to." Will's voice became a whisper.

"So how do we stop it?" Tai asked, breaking any silence. Trust Tai to want to find a way to defeat straight away. Will sat back up.

"All I know is that it involves the data I have and four old artefacts." Izzy cocked an eyebrow at Will.

"That's what I was doing before you asked me for help with David. I was searching for them. I currently have two. They look like simple granite pillars. Only about my size in height." Will gestured with his hand , approximately 5"8. Tai rose up and put his hands together.

"Then we find those pillar things and destroy him!" Tai gave a slight cheer at the end.

"It's not that simple. We'll need the help of the Knight's to fight this god and I don't know how to find the other two pillars. They were completely random. One was in an ice temple , the other was part of a shrine. I stumbled across them by complete accident." Izzy folded his arms.

"Then it's imperative we get them on side." Izzy and Tai nodded.

"How do we do that?" Matt asked quickly. Will stood and smiled.

"You leave that to me." The four boys grinned and looked at each other. Yolei had a bad feeling,whenever they looked at each other like that, something bad was going to happen.

"Alex, can you go to Gennai and tell about our situation? He should send some of the other captains to help. Ask him for any information he has on the Digital Pillars. I'll be there for the next meeting." Alex nodded and left, closely followed by NeoFlamdramon. Tai and the others gave Will a puzzling look.

"Guardian Primus, not just a jazzy title." Will said simply and winked,for extra effect.

* * *

Staring out at the Digital sky, a young adult sat on the ledge of a window. Thrown across a chair was a long white coat, the sleeves pulled off. The light from the moon highlighte how pale he was. His dark hair seemed black in the light but really was a dark brown. He sat comfortably in blue jeans which had a chain through the loops. A simple white short sleeved shirt , with a black skull on the front. A pair of good black earphones hung around his neck. Walking through the door slowly, Gennai moved into the room,eyeing a stack of paper on the desk nearby.

"You should really do that paper work you know." Turning his head to Gennai, a slightly bored look decorated his face. Gennai frowned.

"If you're so bored Cole, you could go back to your team and give them updates." Gennai watched as Cole's expression didn't change. Gennai placed more papers on the desk as Alex walked quickly into the room, followed by another boy. Cole studied the boy next to Alex. He was a few years younger, short messy blond hair, blue eyes. Cole recognised him, he lived in the city over from him. Willis. The Digidestined of Destiny. The boy who had worked with Davis and lived to tell the tale. Cole smirked from his own joke. Cole listened at Alex informed Gennai of the situation in Odaiba, Cole listened intently.

"Okay. Alex, take Willis and head back. Don't bother with the meeting tomorrow, Will and the others can handle that. You two need to help Will fight off the Royal Knights till we can clear things up." Both Alex and Willis nodded as Cole quickly put his white coat on and began to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Gennai asked.

"Odaiba sounds more fun than paperwork!" Cole answered simply,raising a hand to wave to Gennai without turning. Alex and Willis quickly followed him, leaving Gennai alone shaking his head in wonder.

* * *

"So are you going to talk to Sora?" Yolei pushed the topic harder and harder. Will glared at her.

"Are you just going to follow me and Lightmon all night?" He asked , a slight edge to his voice. Yolei didn't flinch. She had decided she was going to stalk him till she got her answer.

"Untill you tell me what you're going to do." Will shook his head in frustration.

"I'm going to help her get with Matt." The edge in Will's voice grew.

"You should talk to her." Yolei was going round in circles with her argument.

"What am I supposed to talk to her about exactly?" Will's eyes stung, he couldn't help but feel it wasn't normal.

"Ask her what she feels for you." Will shot another look at her.

"I did. When I came back , she kissed me to shut me up. She said it meant nothing." Yolei gave Will a piercing look.

"There is a meaning behind every kiss." Will felt a chill run up his spine. Yolei looked away in a blissful dream. Will walked a tiny bit quicker,hoping she wouldn't notice his attempt at escape. She caught his arm and pull him back , causing him to spin and face her. Will insticvely place his arms around her and pull her close. Yolei blushed as she could feel Will's breath on her face. Had his eyes always had that hazel ring? Her thoughts wondered as she studied his face. Will said nothing, he didn't even move an inche. He kept his arms still, he didn't even take a breath being so careful not to hurt the girl in his arms. She fitted perfectly in his arms. He could see her beginning to slowly lean in , slowly closing his eyes. He shouldn't do this. He shouldn't do this. He couldn't help but follow her action. She was even closer, the tinest of spaces between them.

"Royal Knights!" The two broke apart, Yolei's hand flying across Will's face.

"What the hell was that for!" Will gave Yolei a sharp look.

"You tried to take advantage of me!" Yolei closed her eyes and folded her arms.

"You're still blushing." Will said quietly with a slight grin. Yolei looked as if she was going to pick up a bin and throw it at them, when Elegon came running up to them,heavily out of breath.

"There are Royal Knights. Here!" Elgon doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

"I know." Was all WIll simply said. How on earth had he let that happen?

"So I ran all over the city for nothing?" Elegon looked up at them.

"Pretty much." Elgon groaned, dropping to the floor.

"So what you going to do about it? Huh?" Elegon muffled from the floor. Will turned to look at Yolei , who turned away, turning her nose up at him.

"I'm going to take on the leader in a one on one. If I win, he helps us. If he wins, I go with him willingly." Will grinned as Yolei turned to face him. Elegon shuffled on the floor.

"Help us with what?" He said it so quickly , Yolei didn't catch it.

"Effectivly, bring down the god of darkness in the Digital world." Will said simply, putting his hands in his pockets. Elegon groaned loudly.

"What did I get into by meeting you?" Will laughed.

"Possible the biggest battle of your life."


	5. The Storm

I apologise about the time it's been since the last update. I think I will be updating once or twice a week but it shall vary week to week. This is a much logner chapter and I hope it makes up for the shorter ones at the start. I hope you all enjoy, read and review.

* * *

"I will not stand by and watch you hurt them. I'm done just watching from the sidelines! I'm going to fight you. I'm going to stop you right here and now. I will protect them!"

Will jolted awake, words from his past echoed in his ear. Looking around quickly, Will realised he had fallen asleep sitting on someone's sofa. Burying his face into his hands, those words echoed around him. Words from his past. The first time he ever envoked the power of his crest. Pushing the memory from his head, he checked the time on his watch. He had only been asleep for a few minutes. The lights still flooded the yellow room. He had fallen asleep on a purple leather sofa,infront of a small tv. His memory traced back to how he had gotten here.

"Here." Will's sore eyes took in the sight of a cup of tea infront of him,beind handed to by a lavender haired girl.

"Thanks, Yolei." Will said as he took the cup from her hands. Elegon had run back to his apartment and Will realised he had no where to go. Yolei had kindly offered him to come back to hers as only her dad was in. She had made him promise not to take advantage again. Will had rolled his eyes, but he had no other choice.

"So tell me again. Why can't you go back to Sora's?" Yolei took a place on the sofa,taking a sip from her cup of cffee.

"Well, her mum's back in town so I don't really have somewhere to go." Will took a sip of tea, in all honestly, Sora's mum and Will got on just fine. He just didn't want to face Sora right now. Yolei gave him a very stern look.

"So where are you going to stay then?" She asked. Will looked down into his cup of tea. That was a very good question. Leaning back in the sofa, Will stared at the ceiling.

"Well, I suppose I could crash with Matt. He offered a while back. His dad's never there and it's usually just him and Gabumon." Yolei gave him a questioning look.

"What?" Will asked, he wasn't exactly used to her just staring at him. She shifted slightly.

"You can use this sofa for a while. My dad is usually in the store and the rest of my family are either in college or visiting relatives. If I find you in my room though, you're dead." Will felt a chill run up his spine.

"Uh, thanks." Will had a feeling he may regret it in the morning, but he decided confronting Sora would be better than being beaten into nothing by a girl with lavender hair. Taking another sip from his tea, WIll realised he should confront the Knight's first, then Sora. That seemed easier. A sharp pain in his left eye erupted causing him to swear and hold a hand over that eye.

"Something wrong with my tea?" Will saw Yolei giving him a disapproving look with his good eye.

"No no, it's very nice. My eye hurt for a second. That's all." Blinking a few times, Will felt the pain disappearing. Will felt something vibrate in his pocket , causing him to jump a little. Placing his cup of tea on the table infront of him,he pulled out his DIgivice. Message from Gennai. Will raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" Yolei asked with what sounded like geuine concern in her voice. Will said nothing for a few seconds.

"No, it's nothing." Will said simply. He read the information once more and put his Digivice away. Several DIgidestined had been killed in various countries. Will's mind swam with possibilties, but he was really hoping it was just a big coincidence. For the first time in a long time, his crest felt heavy on his chest. As long as he survived tomorrow, he could do anything.

"Not going to finish my tea?" Will turned to her, he was sure she was wondering just how to kill him with that cup of coffee. Quickly, Will reached forward and finished off the tea.

* * *

It was decided. Everything was ready. A chilled wind rushed around the small woodland. Will and a small group would wait at the edge of town for the Knights and confront them. Will yawned. He hadn't slept. Glancing to his side, Sora stood near Matt. Will leaned close to Tai.

"Why is she here?" WIll asked quietly. He had only intended for Matt and Tai to come.

"She followed us here. We couldn't stop her. You know what she's like." Tai said just as quietly. Will glanced at Sora,only to recieve a look from her to say you've been hiding something. Will rolled his eyes and looked down at Lightmon.

"You ready for this?" Lightmon nodded and raised two fists as if he was getting ready to fight. Something beeped quietly. Everyone looked round, only for Will to pull out his Digivice and sigh heavily.

"What is it?" Sora asked quietly. Will shook his head and placed his Digivice back in his pocket.

"The data that was used to seal the Nightmare world. It just finished returning to my DIgivice." The group fell into silence. They had gathered in a large open area in the middle of a small forest just outside the city. Pulling his jacket closer, Will felt the cold air surround them.

"Lightmon, you should Digivolve." Lightmon nodded and quickly Digivolved into Warrior Strikemon. The pale blue knight stepped infront of the group as several black dots quickly grew in size,allowing several knights to step out.

"Leopardmon." Will smiled, almost wanting to laugh. Leopardmon stared at the young man infront of him. Flanked on either side, Craniamon and Dynasmon stood near.

"You are guilty of altering the state of the Digital world and assaulting a member of the Royal Knights." Straight to the point. Will folded his arms.

"You know, Alphamon supported what I did. You'd think you'd follow his ideals, him being leader after all." Will said simply. Leopardmon shifted his hand slightly, his hand playing with the handle of his blade.

"I am leader in his absence, so it is my ideals the others follow. Are you going to come with us or do we have to force you?" Leopardmon held the handle of his blade,in caution.

"I propose a challenge." Will could feel the others behind him were not as confident as he was.

"Defeat us in battle and we'll come with you." Leopardmon said nothing for a while.

"If you defeat me?" His voice was sharp and strong. Leopardmon was confident.

"You and the Knight's help us bring down the sixth sovereign." Leopardmon rushed at Warrior Strikemon, his answer was obvious. Warrior Strikemon blocked the attack easily, forcing the brown knight back. Tai and Matt stood ready, incase Dynasmon or Craniamon tried to help. Craniamon stood ready to battle, but made no move. Dynasmon seemed to waver from side to side, almost stumbling out of place. Will looked behind him for a second, Sora was standing beside Matt. He could only wonder how Tai felt right now. Gabumon and Agumon stood infront of them, ready to Digivolve.

"Your attacks are obvious. You're going to attack from the side and then above." Leopardmon raised his blade ready to block. Warrior Strikemons fist crashed into the back of the knight's head,knocking him forward. Moving faster than the human eye could keep up with, Warrior Strikemon reappeared infront of Leopardmon. With a swift motion, Warrior Strikemon kicked Leopardmon clear across the clearing. Quickly flipping back into a attacking stance, Leopardmon swung his blade,a small black curved beam raced towards Warrior Strikemon. Leaping in the air ,Warrior strikemon avoided the black beam,only to crash into the floor. Leopardmon had fired another one directly into his back.

"Why haven't you used any weapons?" Leopardmon floated above Warrior Strikemon, blade ready for another attack. His mind had been working,calculating why Warrior Strikemon would have dropped his blade after blocking the first attack. Warrior Strikemon made no effort to give a reply as he picked himself up off the floor. The two knights stared each other down. Clouds had begun to gather, a slight rain beginning to fall. Warrior Strikemon crouched into an attack pose as Leopardmon raise dhis blade to strike another attack. Everything went still. No one made a sound. Leopardmon crashed violently into the deep thicket of trees, several falling from his impact. Craniamon and Dynasmon readied themsevles. Agumon and Gabumon stood,frozen. A large black cloaked had appeared out of no where and defeated Leopardmon in one strike. Will trembled.

"This can't be happening. He shouldn't be here!" Will's eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the attacker. Large black cloak which covered his entire body. A dark,shiny metal arm held onto a large deadly scythe held across his shoulder. Just enough of a gap in the cloak to see deadly black armour, white bones decorated every inche. A pure white human skull adorned the helmet and acted as a face guard.

"What is that?" Tai asked quietly, his voice shaky. His eyes had been watching the whole and this knight had appered out of no where.

"The sixth sovereign." Will replied quietly. He was terrified, no other way to describe it. Agumon and Gabumon quickly Digivolved, no word had to be said. Will watched on as Dynasmon and Craniamon leapt into battle, closely followed by Wargreymon and Metal Garurumon. This shouldn't have happened. It wasn't possible. The black knight caught Dynasmon by the head,throwing him into Craniamon, knocking them both to the floor. Wargreymon appeared form behind, only to be met with the blunt side of a scythe knocking him away. The black knight moved quickly, cutting a missle clean in half before appearing infront of Metal Garurumon, his fist sent Metal Garurumon to the earth. Will looked around. The four mega level Digimon struggled to move. Dynasmon's helmet was crushed. Craniamon got to his feet, reading his blade. Wargreymon stood near him. Metal Garurumon's armour was dented and broken beyond use. Warrior Strikemon joined in, drawing a single blade leaping at the black knight. Craniamon was sent crashing to the floor by an unseen attack, Wargreymon shot around the black knight, only to fall to the ground. Warrior Strikemon swung his blade, only for the scythe to counter it and rip across him. At the last second, Warrior Strikemon leapt away. A long black gash decorated one side of his armour. At the same time, Will fell to his knees holding the same area Warrior Strikemon was hit.

"Will are you okay?" Sora ran across to the clearing and was quickly at his level. Will's eyes stayed trained on the black knight.

"Yeah I needed that." He grinned as he pulled himself up. Sora opened her mouth to question what hurt him, but he beat her to it.

"When you and your Digimon partner become one compelete unit, your emotions not only make them stronger but you can feel their pain in battle. What I feel is nothing compared to what he feels though. I don't even know how he's standing." Will shielded his face as the wind picked up, becomming violent. Will grinned. They could do this.

"Go for it Strikemon! Don't hold back!" Warrior Strikemon was already moving. Both blades ready. Striking with one blade , the black knight parried and countered as Warrior Strikemon leapt away and rushed back in with his second blade. The black knight didn't move, taking the full brunt of the blade. Warrior Strikemon leapt a huge distance away, dropping his blade as it turned into dust.

"What just happened?" Tai stared in disbelief. The attack hit but nothing happened.

"Anything that touches him turns to dust. Like it ages and disolves." Matt said quietly, Will turned to look at him. He was smarter than he first gave him credit for.

"Look at Dynasmon. His helmet is melting slowly." Will pointed out carefully. Dynasmon's heltmet was slowly turning black, falling away. A clash of metal. Everyone turned to look as the black knight blocked a sword that was thrown at him. Warrior Strikemon appeared from above, his blade shimmering with lightning. The black knight caught the blade in his hand,pulling Warrior Strikemon in before throwing him to the floor. Warrior Strikemon shot back up as quick as he could, only to feel his own blade pierce him armour through the wolf head. The black knight pulled back his side, brutally slamming the blunt side into Warrior Strikemons' head. Falling to the earth, Warrior Strikemon made an audible crunch. Will had to hold his right arm to stop it shaking.

"Get up." He said it so quietly. He wasn't even sure he had said it. Warrior Strikemon slowly picked himself up, his armour was cracked and broken. He wasn't moving properly. Stumbling slight, Warrior Strikemon pulled out another blade. Running his finger down the blade, it began to shimmer with a dark yellow light. The light grew, it was blinding. It was terrifying. With a flick of his wrist, Warrior Strikemon let fly a huge pillar of dark yellow lightning,completely englufing the black knight.

"Give it up." A dark violent voice crackled. The black knight appeared infront of Warrior Strikemon, picking him up by the neck in one hand. Lightning cracked in the sky behind them. Rain slashed down. The wind pushed them away. Will's Digivice began to beep loudly in his hand. No one had noticed him taking it out of his pocket. A small red square began to spin on the screen.

"There are five Guardians, trusted above the rest. These five Guardians were entrusted with something. Something secret. Something powerful." The group watched as Will stood confidently and spoke loudly.

"There is a level above Mega. It's called Super Ultimate. Not my favourite name for it but I suspect that's what level you are." Will meant that bit for the black knight.

"Correct." The black knight's dark voice replied. Will carried on.

"Did you really think this storm was natural? Didn't you notice how quick it came on?" Will asked, his voice racing slightly. The made no reply.

"Those five Guardians I meantioned from earlier. They were entrusted with the ability to Digivolve past Mega." The knight leapt away from Warrior Strikemon who quickly began to ascend into the air above them. All eye's turned to watch the floating knight, his cape flapping wildly in the wind.

"I'm one of those five Guardians. This storm." Will gestured to the sky with his free hand. "Is the effect of Warrior Strikemon building up the energy." Black storm clouds surrounded Warrior Strikemon , creating a giant black orb around him. Lightning struck the orb, joining with the black clouds. Light raced around the orb. Everyone watched as the black orb began to quickly turn into a orb of light.

"This is Lightmon's true form." The orb broke away suddenly to reveal another figure in place of Warrior Strikemon. Dark blue armour with gold trim. Gold designs and Digital code decorated the armour. Two huge golden wings stretched out behind him. A blood red sash was tied around the waist leaving a tail on the right side. A seethed sword hung casually on his left side.

"Holy Lightmon." Will grinned, his crest had begun to shine. It was shining to brightly , it was burning his chest slightly. The pain was worth it, they needed this. The black knight shot up , headed towards Holy Lightmon,only for a crack of lightning to strike him, knocking him off balance. Holy Lightmon raised a hand, as the black clouds opened , allowing a huge beam of golden light to crash down into the black knight. The collumn of light burnt anyway anything it touched, it scorched the very earth itself. The black knight shot back up again, his robe burnt away. Holy Lightmon slowly drew his blade before rushing to meet the black knight. The sound of metal crashing against metal at lightning speed echoed for hundreds of miles as the two began to battle at a deadly speed.

"That's insane." Matt said in utter awe, as he knelt by Gabumon. Tai held Agumon close as he watched the battle.

"Why do we need the other stuff if you've got a Digimon who can match him in strength? He's got no chance agains't that!" Tai grinned victorously. Will looked away.

"It's not enough. Holy Lightmon is at a level half way between Mega and Super Ultimate. Even in his true form, he's no match for a sovereign. He's still only half the strength of the sovereign." Everyone looked at him in fear.

"How is that even possible?" Sora said in disbelief, watching the two Digimon race across the sky. A large black voice opened infront of them, allowing three figures with white coats to step through. Will laughed as he saw the three figures.

"Are you stalking me now?" Will asked jokingly.

"You wish." Will looked at the one he knew to be called Alex. Willis and Cole stepped out, glancing up at the battle going on above.

"Wow." Was all Willis could say. Will gathered himself.

"Listen, get them out of here. Help the Knights as well. Get to somewhere safe and I'll join you when I can." Alex and Willis nodded at the orders. Cole rolled his eyes.

"I was hoping to join in." Cole said flatly. Another bang echoed above.

"Maybe next time. If there's a next time." Will said the last part quietly to himself. Holy Lightmon raced alongside the black knight. It was a true test of his ability. Holy Lightmon looked down, seeing Will was the only one left in the clearing. Holy Lightmon stopped in the air , watching as the black knight turned to face him. Holy Lightmon readied himself as he dropped his side, letting it plummet to the earth. Pure wild lightning gathered between his hands, it quickly grew in size. The black knight caught on as pale red mist began to escape his armour, his right arm slowly becomming encased in a pale red outer layer. Holy Lightmon's entire body beganto crackle with lightning. It was as if he was a huge lightning conductor, gathering it all into one single attack. Holy Lightmon held the mass of Lightning in one hand before racing towards the black knight. The two met in the middle. The sky looked as if it had been riped apart and set on fire. The trees shook and fell below. Will fell to the floor, the sheer force of the blast was huge. Will picked himself up and raced forward, ignoring the huge dust cloud hanging in the sky. Leaping forward, Will caught the small intraining Digimon in his hands.

"You okay Tsunomon?" Will's voice was heavy with concern and worry. The small round Digimon with a horn in it's head barely blinked.

"Tired." Came the weak reply. Will knew that Lightmon couldn't stay as Holy Lightmon for long. It took a huge amount of energy. The dust cloud shifted quickly to reveal the black knight unharmed. His armour was scratched and burnt, but nothing else. Will's eyes widened in fear. For the first time, Lightmon had lost a battle. Fear froze him. The black knight slowly made his way down to them. Closer and closer. Will couldn't move. He was shaking. How could something this powerful exist? How was he supposed to fight it let alone stop it? A giant golden insect Digimon crashed into the black knight, pushing it furhter away from them.

"You still alive?" Will turned at the familar voice. Running towards him, black neat hair, baggy blue jeans, heavy black jacket.

"Mark?" Will said quietly. He couldn't believe it.

"How are you here?" Will asked. How was he here? Mark smiled and helped Will up.

"Gennai. Besides, we were a team in the old days, we're a team now. I'm not going to let you fight this thing on your own." Will felt himself ease. Mark had always been on his side.

"I hope you don't hold a grudge agains't me for helping David. I had to do it." Mark was being honest, Will could tell.

"It's okay, David explained it to me." Mark nodded. A crash echoed above. They watched on as the black knight swung the giant Digimon across the sky.

"Anyway, I'm here to help you get out of here." Mark watched on, worried about his partner. The black knight raced forward, dodging every single attack before using a single punch to knock the insect Digimon out of the air. Hercules Kabuterimon crashed to the floor infront of them, bits of him slowly turning to data. He was simply no match. Mark's face was covered in panic. With a snap of his fingers , a black void opened behind Will. The black knight approached Mark, he was steps away. Mark shoved Will into the void.

"I'm a Guardin too. We fight for each other as well as others." Mark smiled as he turned to face the knight, who was now standing directly infront of him. The knight was tall, easily towering over him.

"You're going to lose you know." Mark said , not a hint of fear in his voice. The black knight raised his scythe and brought it down. As the entrance to the void closed infront of him, Will saw Mark drop to the floor,never to rise again.

"Mark!"


	6. My Personal Aftermath

I think that the majority of my updates will be around Friday's for the time being, I hope this is okay for everyone. I apologise about the super short chapter, but the plan was for this chapter to short anyway. In any case, I hope you read,enjoy and review.

* * *

Had this really happened? Why did it have to happen? Will,dressed head to toe in black, stood beside Lightmon. The pair faced a small plaque. Mark's name sat proudly at the end. It had been put up in honour of any Digidestined who died in battle. Will wanted everyone to be remembered.

Clenching a fist, Will looked down. He ignored the weather. He took no notice to anything around him. The weather was unknown to him.

"I should have stayed and fought." His voice was low, untamed. Lightmon winched from it. It had been a week. Seven long empty days. Will had sought out Gennai immediatly after, his actions fuelled by unparelled anger. He remembered the heavy eyes Gennai had that day.

* * *

"Why did you do it? Why!" Will had pinned Gennai to a wall, Gennai made no effort to escape the grip. Gennai stared into Will's eyes. Bloodshot, completely hazel, pain. They weren't the eyes of a proud Gaurdian. Not anymore.

"There wasn't anyone else. He insisted on going because the other's weren't ready." Gennai's voice was low and soft. Will pushed Gennai futher up the wall, in an effort to bury him.

"What are you talking about?" Gennai still made no effort to escape under Will's heavy words.

"Mark was training the other captains. They're his students." As soon as the final word escaped Gennai's mouth, Will let him drop the floor. Stumbling back, Will collapsed to the floor.

* * *

Glancing back up at the name engraved on the plaque, Will felt a sly wind try to steal his long black coat. Lightmon sat down, his eyes never leaving the plaque,his fur coat protected him from the wind. Memories of Mark flooded his mind. Will covered his face with leather gloved hands. Grimmicing, he couldn't do this again. He had fought so hard to block out what happened. Bits were missing, parts had fallen into nothing. He only remembered important parts of it now. The battles, the Knights, new title. Tiny rain drops fell, beginning to spit over his clean black suit. Cursing himself, Will let every single memory in. He had tried to hide himself away in the darkness after confronting Gennai.

* * *

He sought out the darkest, vilest place he could. The odour of whisky and cigarette smoke polluted the air. Will had paid for the bar to be empted, leaving him alone. He turned every single light off, except the ones behind the bar. Leaning back in a wooden chair, he inhaled more of his cigarette. A half empty glass sat infront of him,flanked by a bottle of whisky and various other bottles. He had attempted to distract himself with darts, only he was too drunk to aim carefully. Various darts were scattered around the dart board,none of them had actually his any form of a target. Why couldn't he block it out? Why wouldn't the memories stop? Slamming his fist into the table, Will forced himself up, putting his cigarette in the nearby ash tray. Downing the rest of the whisky, Will stumbled towards the bar. He heard the door opening behind him. Stumbling slightly, he turned to face the intruders.

"You can't be here!" His words slurred and jumbled together. He recognised them instantly. Matt held the door open, as Sora carefully made her way to him. Of course Matt would know this place. He had shown it too Will in the first place. Matt allowed the door to close, waiting outside. Sora said nothing. Trying to back away, Will fell to the floor ,crashing into several chairs.

"Look at what you did!" Will's voice echoed in the small room. Sora said nothing and simply came to his level and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't move, too shocked by the sudden contact. Slowly, Will couldn't resist, there was nothing left in him. Wrapping his arms around Sora tightly, the two clung to each other in the never ending darkness.

* * *

It was rainingly heavily now,no way to stop the flood from the sky. He had lost track of time, hours maybe only seconds had passed. Something clicked. He wasn't going to try to hide the memories anymore. Why should he? The more he hid from them, the more he hid from himself. Will's eyes locked on the plaque. Reading it over and over, he realised what had to be done. The longer he kept hiding away, the worse things would get. Mark had trained the other captains. They were his students. Will could only imagine how they felt.

"Lightmon." Will said quietly as he rose to his feet.

"Yeah?" The small Digimon looked up at Will, his fur soaked.

"Want to destroy a Sovereign?" There was no fear in his voice.

"Yeah. I want a rematch with that freak." Lightmon growled slightly. They weren't just fighting to stop something. They were fighting for the others. They weren't alone this time. They had to stop this thing, for Mark. He believed in them. Mark had been working the whole time to strengthen them. Will's eyes lingered on Mark's name. He remembered Mark telling him how he wanted to be an actor, have his name in lights.

"Let's get to work." Will and Lightmon walked away, neither of them were willing to fail.


	7. Vow

Only a day or so late, sorry. Take my advice, never write a chapter whilst hungover. It won't end well. Ever. I apologise that this wasn't up on friday, I was busy with university applications. I hope you all enjoy read and review.

* * *

Night fell across the city,a blanket of darkness littered with bright dots. Nothing stirred in the darkness. Every resident of the city was asleep. Protected from the cold by their beds. Somewhere deep in the city, a laptop screen flashed to life. It illuminated the bedroom, the resident only barely stirring. Stepping forward,a figure was hidden away in the darkness. Slowly, making their way across the room, the occupant never stirred. Moon light ilumminated a small part of the room,near the occupant. Light caught the figure, revealing them. Hidden under a cloak was a small female form, covered head to toe in pale red armour. Gracefully gliding to the head of the bed, the knight leaned in close, observing the girl. The Digidestined of Empathy. Lianne. It would be so easy to complete her mission. There would be no reason to draw it. She could just end it with a flick of her wrist. No, she couldn't defy _him. _Clicking her wrist, a small need popped out containing a dark blue liquid. With a flash of movement, the needle was implanted in Lianne's neck, the liquid quickly flowing into her blood stream.

* * *

Dawn carefully leaked in the window, filling the room with light. Papers were scattered across a small table, red ink adorned the sheets of writing. Sinking back into a chair, Will tossed a red pen across the table. He had spent the night going over records Gennai and Izzy had collected. Even the tiniest piece of information could help them. Even if only a myth. They needed every last bit of luck to defeat the sovereign. Will shut his eyes, he felt as if he was clutching at straws. Across the table from him, Izzy continually typed. Izzy had taken on the harder texts in ancient Digital language. Will had the knowledge of the ancient ruins, Izzy had the technology to translate ancient code. It was a good assumption they would find something. They had been at it for nearly a week now and barely anything. Just small hints, traces and dead myths.

"Is it possible there are any ruins you missed out on? I understand we've been over this a lot, but we need to be accurate." Izzy spoke without taking his eye's off the screen. Will visualised his mental map of the ruins.

"It's very possible. I went to every ruin I could find during my travelling. It's possible there are some in the ice and desert regions we missed. Violent weather could have buried them . Maybe even a tectonic plate shift, maybe they were moved. I wouldn't know where to start looking. We'd need either someone from when the ruins were built, or the very first records in Digital history." Will felt his stomach drop, with all their knowledge, there was so much missing.

"Agreed. However, there's no possible way to find those records. It doesn't help there are several unexplored areas of the Digital world." Izzy lowered his voice, as not to wake their sleeping partner. Will nodded in agreement, his eyes falling on the auburn haired girl. Sora had fallen asleep on the sofa early on in the night. She looked so peaceful. Will owed her a lot, only a few weeks ago had she pulled him from the bar. A time he wished to ignore. She stopped him self destructing, she set him back on path. Will had sighed sadly when he realised just how much he needed her. He had placed a soft blue blanket on her as soon as she fell asleep.

"Any luck?" Will turned to stare up at Tai, who was carefully rubbing his eyes. Tai was the first to give up in the night and sleep, but Will knew he was having trouble sleeping at all anymore. Tai took in the sight, paper every where, empty tea cups scattered around the room. Will shook his head. It was agreed Tai's place would be used as base , as it was central to everyone. Tai's eyes fell to the sleeping girl, he smiled softly.

"You two need to get some sleep." Tai said quietly. Will smiled, he was on the verge of passing out anyway. Izzy yawned, he finally gave up typing and shut his laptop.

"You're right, we've been working all night." Izzy noted the time on his watch. Will said nothing as he shifted in his chair, getting comfy before letting sleep over take him.

* * *

"Time to get up!" Elegon burst into Will's old room, hoping to wake it's occupant. He frowned,seeing that his entrance had no affect. Lianne had barely moved. Elegon quickly walked over before looking down at the duvet covered figure.

"Oh really?" He said quietly. Suddenly he jumped on the beach and bounded to the other side of the room,ripping open the curtains. A small , painful groan escaped the duvet clad figure.

"You'd have beatn me if I hadn't been awake by now! I already cooked!" Elegon faked annoyance. Something wasn't right. Walking slowly over to the sleeping girl, Elegon carefully pulled back the duvet. He swore at her appearance. Deathly pale. Sweat rolling down her face in beads. Face grimmaced in pain.

"Lianne? Lianne!" Elegon quickly bent down to her level. It only took him a few seconds before he raced outside.

"Someone get an ambulance here now!" A flurry of activity quickly englufed the room.

* * *

Dancing around the Kamiya's small kitchen, Will was quickly preparing a small breakfast for himself and anyone who wish to join him. Carefully filling two glasses with orange juice,he set the cartion and glasses aside,before turning to the toaster. Choosing the appropiate setting,he pushed the small switch on the side.

"Morning." A weak quiet gorggy voice reached him. Quickly turning,he saw Sora slowly beginning to shift as she woke up.

"Afternoon!" Will said with a small laugh. Sora quickly looked at her watch and groaned before burying her head in her hands. Will picked up two cups and quickly walked into the small living area, placing a cup of coffee infront of Sora. Will had cleared up the paper work, organsing it into small piles near the television. Sora stared at the cup of coffee for a long moment, before graciously accepting it.

"Where are Izzy and Tai?" Sora asked,once she realised it was just herself and Will in the Kamiya's apartment. Will remained standing,drinking his small cup of tea.

"They went out, I think they're picking up more information." Will's mood fell, the large amount of work they had gave them nothing. Sora noticed the small piles, dreading how much Tai and Izzy would bring back with them.

"It would be so much easier if the other Sovereigns could help. How can this one Sovereign seal all of them?" Sora mumbled the last piece, it was obvious that it had been bothering her. Will placed one hand in the pocket of his jeans.

"This thing is as old as the Digital world itself. How it got sealed in the Nightmare World is beyond me. We need to help the Sovereigns first , if they're still alive." Will whispered the last part, he didn't want to voice his doubts. The two stared at each other in silence. Will's heart raced, it felt like an eternity when she looked at him like that. He wanted to protect her. He would protect her.

"What are you wearing?" Sora's voice woke him,she could barely stop herself from laughing. Glancing down at himself, he was wearing a bright pink apron , a smiling teddy bear danced across it.

"It's Kari's I swear! She gave it to me before she went shopping with Yolei!" Will quickly joined her in laughing, realising how he must look. Her laugh was addicting. He felt he would do just about anything to hear it. The two of them smiled at each other, enjoying the quiet moment. Did she have to be so intoxicating? Will realised at that very moment, just how deep his feelings were becomming. There was no turning back now.

"What's that smell?" Sora asked, once again breaking Will's train of thought. Turning, Will saw a small flame growing from the toaster. Will leapt across the small chair , stumbled as he landed and crashed into a small wooden chair near the dining table, crashing to the floor in a chaotic mess.

"Will are you okay?" Sora sat up trying to see Will. A small pained response came.

"No." Will placed a hand on the kitchen counter, pulling himself up. He was pretty sure, it was the second time he had crashed into this chair in several days. As Will pulled himself up, he slammed his head into the lip of the counter, before crashing back to the floor.

"You're not a very good cook are you?" Sora asked as she got up, ready to sort out Will's chaotic attempt at cooking.

* * *

Rushing through the Digital world, a figure leapt from tree to tree , rebounding off each one. A large human wolf figure,dark black fur, rested on a branch for a short moment. Shooting through the air as if a bullet fired from a gun, a Shadow WereGarurumon travelled at a huge speed. The stars and moon acted as his guide light. Fear trickled down his spine. His movements were beginning to become jerky. He missed the tree he was aiming for, crashing into everything on his plummet to the ground. Bounching and skidding across the floor, the Shadow WereGarurumon flipped to his feet. Were they still tracking him? He turned, scouting the area to his left and right. Nothing. A small trickle of hope began to emerge. Several figures dropped from the air around him. He was done for. Readying himself for a battle, he vowed not to go down without a fight. He estimated , six maybe seven. The figures were completely grey, they stood like a human but lacked any detail,a small black line around their neck. It was as if they were just copies, templates. Shadow WereGarurumon leapt forward , his fist easily destroying one figure, before turning on his heel and aiming a kick to the midsection of the next figure. Two down. They broke apart easily. His eyes widened in shock, they didn't disolve into data. As he prepared to leap away into the tree, he crashed to the ground. Looking back,one of his legs had been fused to the ground, in a goopy grey substance. He was trapped, he had forgotten about the enemies behind him. Rookie mistake. Growling, Shadow WereGarurumon gave his final words in anger.

"What are you!" The figures began to converge on him, their bodies slowly melting on to his black fur. They quickly covered his entire body,sealing him. Eventually, they pulled apart, forming back into human like figures, a new figured joined them. Slowly, they advanced deeper into the forest, looking for a new target, leaving the fallen figures behind as they melted into the ground.

* * *

His eyes darted from note to note, his mind was now fully awake looking for every last clue. Will's frustration grew, translating ancient digital code into modern day english always had room for gramatical changes and word variations. It wasn't just a case of reading over and over, it was a case of solving a puzzle. Sinking down in the sofa, Will allowed the piece of paper fall, he was sure he had memorised it. Sora sat closely next to him. As Will sank down in the sofa , closing his eyes, Sora patted his head earning a smile from the Irish Digidestined turned Gaurdian. Her hand lingered for a moment before she ran it through his slightly shaggy hair. She had never noticed how soft it was. Her eyes studied him, he became more relaxed, completely calm. A small smile never left his face as she carefully played with his hair.

"That's really nice." He murmured. Every single worry had faded from him. Will had once told Sora that he loved it when people played with his hair,but he never once expected her to do it. The two sat in the quiet, enjoying their small moment of peace. Sora smiled, seeing Will was nearly alseep. A heavy metal tune quickly echoed around the apartment, waking Will from his daze. He pulled his phone from his pocket and answered.

"Hey, what's up Syao?" Will turned and smiled at Sora. His smile quickly fell from his face.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, quickly sitting forward to be next to him.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Will ended the call, before quickly searching for another number.

"What is it Will?" Sora placed a hand on his arm, letting him know she was there.

"Lianne's in hospital, something's wrong." Will said simply, he was putting every bit of energy he had into not worrying. He dialled the new number.

" , You still in the city?" Will waited for the reply. "Good, I need you to head to Odaiba hospital and help Lianne. Somethings -" Will didn't get the chance to finish.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. You do whatever it takes to help her , got it?" Will's voice was stern, harsh. Sora had gotten up and fetched their coats. She had left a note for whoever returned to the apartment first. She threw Will's jacket at him, a smart black jacket with the symbol of "The Protector" on the right sleeve. Sora made a note to ask him about it. Quickly, the two left and headed for the hospital.

* * *

Glancing in a window, Matt saw a carefully made silver necklace with a small red heart. He stared down the price. Too much. He ran a hand through his hair and felt his heart drop.

"I'll never be able to afford that." He wanted to do something special for her. No, he needed to do something special for her. He had everything he needed, except that necklace. The store clerk waved from inside, she recognised him. Matt smiled and waved back at the brown haired girl. He carried on down the street. Maybe he could write a song for her? He laughed, maybe he could get away it, maybe she'd smash his guitar into his head for it. He smiled at the memory when Sora threatened him with his own guitar.

* * *

Staring in through a small window of a door covered in hazard symbols, Will could see Lianne's shape. She was resting peacefully on a bed, connected to several machines. He had been in to see her, after what felt like forever in putting on masks and gloves.

"What do you think it is?" Will asked,his arms folded, as he stared at his doctor. The one doctor he trusted. Sora said nothing, standing near him.

"We think it may be infectious to other Digidestined. Elegon,Syao and Momaru have already been tested and they came out okay. I don't think this is any human infection. Of course I've told the hospital otherwise." She said quietly. Sora blinked a few times and looked at Will uneasily.

"It's okay, she knows about the Digital world. Next to Joe,she's the best doctor for the Digidestined." Will explained simply to Sora without turning. Will had avoided one question but he needed to know.

"How long does she have?" looked away at Will's question.

"Not long enough, maybe a few weeks at best." Will stifened at the answer. He wouldn't lose her too. He refused. Glancing back in the window at Lianne's unconcious form, he made a vow.

"So a few weeks to find the cure in the Digital world, stop a Sovereign and save Lianne." Will's expression didn't change. It was a daunting challenge, one he would have to rise to.

"Sound's right up your street. You should go talk to the Gennai." Sora flinched, how did she know Gennai as well? Will immediatly walked away to the nurses station near them and typed away on the computer. The nurse looked at him with a vile look.

"If you don't leave I'll have you fired quicker than you can blink." The nurse grunted and left, fully aware of what Will was capable of. Sora joined him behind the counter, as Will brought up a Digital port.

"I'll be back soon, make sure she's comfortable." Will said to as both himself and Sora vanished in a flash of light. The nurse came running around the corner.

"What was that!" She asked in a panicked voice. Dr. Thomas glared at her.

"One word from me and I'll make sure you're gone. Don't ask about what doesn't concern you." Dr. Thomas's voice was laced with vemon, she owed Will everything and intended to repay him.


	8. Preparation

Two chapters in two days, been a while since I've done that. The reason there is another update today is that I am ill so I have plenty of time to write. I hope you all read ,enjoy and review.

* * *

Pushing door after door open, two figures raced their way down the long winding corridors. Sora watched memorised by Will's white coat. It was a perfect weight and simple design that allowed for easy customisation. She quickly followed on Will's heels through the door ways,corridors, meeting rooms,lounges and many other things she only saw from the corner of her eye. Will had passed a remark on how big the place had gotten, causing Sora to strain her neck to see the buildings full height. Will immediatlely turned left, crashing through two huge oak doors. Sora wondered if this was really okay, tearing through the building. Hundreds of wooden oak shelves, filled to the brim with books and records flanked every inche of the room. In the centre, lighted by a mass of candles, were several long oak tables. Sora couldn't help but feel Izzy would love this place.

"Gaurdian Primus! Gennai is over here!" A figure also wearing the white coat guided Will and Sora to where Gennai was hidden. They were led to a small section with a circle of desks. Gennai raced through a book, scanning and translating as best he could. A small laptop sat on another desk,connected with dozens of cables.

"Gennai -" Will started but was almost immedietly cut off by Gennai.

"I'm aware of the situation. I've found several things which I believe will help you. Izzy is here as well, he's been building up a map." Gennai explained, his voice strained and trailed in parts, his mind was focussed on the task. Sora's eyes scanned the desks, each one seemed to have something different. Books, files, yellow folders, it was an endless mess.

"Izzy will explain what we've got and the situation here." Gennai said no more as he leapt across the desk, searching for another book. Something muttered a curse as a bang was heard. Izzy emerged from under the desks as he stood.

"I'll be quick. First, e-mailed Gennai with pictures and information. Joe and I did the best we could. It seems to be an intelligent virus, it will select it's vitim and kill them slowly. We're not sure yet on the stages. We do know it's only leathal to Digidestined that it was intended for. Most important of all, it has to be administered directly to the victim. This means, someone poisioned her intentionally." Izzy explained as slowly as he could,making sure both Will and Sora understood. Sora whinced at the last part.

"Who would target us?" Sora said quietly. The idea something could bring them down that easily scared her. Will moved closer to her and gave her a look that said not to worry.

"We don't know." Izzy said quietly, there were enough problems already.

"I've got three other captains on it." Will said suddenly. Sora and Izzy looked at him, he acted fast.

"How do we stop this virus thing then?" Will said, his eyes were hard and his voice harsh. He folded his arms, waiting for Izzy.

"Basically, extract or destroy them. Problem is, if we extract them without caution Lianne could be left with serious problems. Destroying them is...tricky." Will cocked an eyebrow.

"Define tricky." Will said slowly. Izzy rubbed the back of his neck.

"We need a Digital core or a Data core." Will's face paled. Digital cores were hard enough to get when the Sovereigns weren't sealed away.

"So how do we get a Data core?" Will's made sure he only asked questions he needed to.

"The records suggest the only remaining Data cores, D-Cores for short, are in the unexplored area of the Digital world. They can be used for anything they are programmed for. Even helping a Digimon digivolve to the next level, or curing any injury, which is why we hope you can find more than one. They are found in particular, the Shadow Kingdom." Izzy moved to his laptop and typed quickly,bringing up a map of the Digital world. He turned the laptop to show the pair. A small area in the north was shaded black. Will frowned.

"So basically, head to the Shadow Kingdom. One of the most dangerous unexplored areas. Get a Data core which we have no real idea of what it looks like. Get it back to Lianne. Great." Will ran a hand over his face. Sora placed a hand on his shoulder.

"On the upside, there is a chance an artefact is in the Shadow Kingodm. The Shadow Kingdom is also supposed to be pretty empty seeing as it's almost impossible to survive there." Izzy tried to offer the most comofrting words he could. Sora only worried more as Will didn't move.

"So what's the situation?" Will said quietly. Izzy backed away slightly.

"Tai had a feeling you'd want to go alone on this one. So he left in advance, we couldn't stop him. You know what he's like." Izzy mumbled. Will's head shot up.

"If he reaches that place without help he's dead! I travelled on the fringes of it once, it wasn't pretty." Will went silent before quickly pulling Izzy's laptop towards him.

"I'm leaving intstructions to the other Gaurdians here. Make sure they get them. Did Tai say anything before he left?" Will typed as fast as he could, his speed was obviously no where near Izzy's.

"He said that myself and Matt could handle things in _O_daiba." Izzy smiled gently. Will knew Tai was right, it wasn't often he was wrong about the teams' advantages. Matt and Izzy did make a good team when it counted. Will stood and pulled his coat off.

"I'm going to pack things up and get read to leave. I'll stay in touch as often as I can." Will turned to leave. Sora quickly followed him, her heart sunk at the idea of what he was about to do. Izzy bent down and read the instructions, cocking an eyebrow at some of them.

"He's smarter than I give him credit for." Izzy read over the final instruction before racing after Gennai.

* * *

Quickly stalking his way to a computer, a figure traced the same path a knight had the day before. Stubbing his toe, he swore.

"Willis! Watch where you're going you clutz!" A small cream coloured rabbit with huge ears called to his partner.

"Coming from the rabbit with huge ears, you can't say much Terriermon." Willis quickly sat at the computer and bypassed any login details. Breaking into this apartment was much easier than Will had made it out to be.

"Why are we here Willis? This places feels empty." Terriermon laughed as he jumped up and down on the bed in the room. Willis sighed.

"Will told us that he has a camera in each room that records at night. A security system. He gave me all the details to log on and skim the footage." Willis continued to work as fast as possible, hoping to make it out before anyone caught him. He studied the footage as best as he could.

"What the hell?" Willis muttered as he watched a dark red knight approach the bed.

"That looks like Crusadermon." Willis leaned in, checking the appearance. It didn't look like the Royal Knight, but it closely resembled it. Willis quickly began to take stills and save them to a small USB he carried. Leaning back in the chair watching the small green bar expand, his mind worked.

"It looks like the Royal Knight but it's colour and build are slightly off. If it is a Royal Knight, it changed it's Digital structure somehow. I thought a deal had been struck." Willis's voice trailed into the darkness,his mind running over the deal between Will and Leopardmon.

"Prehaps it's acting rouge." Willis felt there were too many possibilties for this action. Pulling the small USb from the computer he shut it down.

"Time to go Terriermon." He said calmly. Terriermon flew over slowly to him.

"Can we get ice cream?" Terriermon asked in his high pitched voice.

"Maybe later. We need to meet Cole and Alex first." Willis quickly left, making sure no one in the apartment knew he was even there.

* * *

Sora reached out and grabbed Will's arm as he marched down a brightly lit corridor.

"Are you really going to do this?" Her voice was full of worry. Will stopped and turned, not wishing to move incase he hurt her somehow.

"I don't really have a choice. We need as many of those D-cores as we can get. The fact there might be an artefact out there is reason enough for me to go." Will's words were a rush, an explosion of the reasons he had found. Sora only really heard his intention,he was going. The two stared at each other for a long time. No words were needed. Slowly, Will pulled her close wrapping her in a gentle warm hug.

"It's okay Sora. I'll be really cafreful. Besides, someone has to make sure Tai's hair doesn't get burnt off." Will spoke quietly, directly into Sora's ear, as she rested her head against his chest. She stifled a small laugh. The two stood in the birhgtly lit corridor for a long time,ignoring anyone who walked past or looked at them.

* * *

"So it was definatly the result of a Digimon." Syao had laid down across several plastic chairs in the hospital canteen.

"Yeah. I overheard Lianne's doctor and Will talking. In any case, we need to take care of this. If not for ourselves, then for LIanne." Elegon was restless, he had moved from sitting on a chair to dancing on a table. For now he had settled on leaning against a large pillar.

"Thanks for that captain obvious. First off,who would want to target a Digidestined?" Momaru's voice was quiet,trying to keep the discussion between just them. She had chosen to sit simply on a chair oposite where Syao was lieing.

"It's more of a question,who would target Lianne." Syao interjected. He saw no logic in someone just randomly targeting any Digidestined. The group fell silent, all ideas exhausted.

"That's it!" Elegon leapt forward cliking his fingers. Pulling Momaru down off her chair to Syao's level he leaned in close to them both.

"It's the Royal Knights!" Elegon whispered it ,causing the other two to go slightly pale. He leapt back making stabbing motions.

"If they were still after Will, they'd want to go after the people close to him right? With Mark gone and David missing,who's left? Lianne!" Elegon smiled brilliantly, satisfied with himself for figuring it out.

"Then we know who we go after. If we track down the exact knight we can force them to heal Lianne." Syao sat up as he explained his plan, cracking his knuckles at the idea of taking the Knight's head on.

"Wait a second" Momaru stood quickly. "What about others close to Will? Tai? Matt? Sora?" She pointed out one thing they had missed. Possible future targets.

"Then we just protect them and track the Knight at the same time!" Elegon took off down a corridor, making sure not to hit anyone in his way.

"He's right you know!" Syao grinned wickedly before taking off,hoping to catch up with Elegon. Momaru could only sigh as she chased after the pair.

* * *

Blitzing across the ground,a large white blur travelled at a ferrel speed.

"You okay Strikemon? You've been quiet lately." Will asked the large white wolf. A growl was the only reply. Will knew what it meant. Strikemon wanted revenge for his friends. The large wolf had several large black bags, filled with supplies and equipment on each side of his body. A small black comfortable harness held the bags in place. As they raced across the Digital world, some of the equipment could be heard clunking against other equipment. Will prayed none of it was damaged. Quickly looking at his Digivice, Will could see they were nearing the boarder of the Shadow Kingdom. It was a fitting name. All the colour drained the closer you got, the sky turned cloudy, the sun became hidden. There. Strikemon leapt and skidded to a halt in front of two figures.

"What are you doing Tai!" It wasn't how Will wanted to greet Tai but it had to be done. Tai simply grinned..

"Well I guessed you'd want to do this alone so I came out this far to force you to let me tag along." Agumon laughed at some inside joke he and Tai shared. The small organe dinosaur nearly fell to the floor.

"You should go back, this is too dangerous. Strikemon and I are fast." Will explained it as simply as he could.

"Yes but you've no way to make sure I actually go back. You can't walk me back because that would waste time. You're only real choice is to let me come!" Tai said in a strong tone. The two young men stared at each other.

"You can be smart when you want to be." Will took a breath. "Get on." Tai grinned madly as he and Agumon climbed on the large wolf. Will was the one to have the final laugh as Strikemon shot off, causing Tai to nearly fall off.

"This isn't going to be easy Tai." Will said just loud enough for the other young man to hear.

"So? When was anything easy? We're Digidestined." Will had to admit, Tai had a point.

* * *

I feel that the last two chapters have been sort of chaotic. I can only apologise as that is completely my fault. I'll try to make sure the next couple of chapters aren't like that. Sadly, I needed the last two chapters to be a bit messy but not that messy. In any case, I feel they aren't of the quality I should be putting up on this site and I promise to try and improve on the story.

I'm going to take the time to point out another story today. This is written by the user Sightbent. It is a very long story,however, it's excellent. It's a cross of 04 and 02 and the story is very well thought out. It's very well written and you just want to continue reading more. If you haven't already read this story,take the time to read it. I have enjoyed this story a huge amount and I hope you do too.

.net/s/5493589/1/Crossing_Worlds_The_Sealed_Digivice


	9. My Auburn Utopia

I apologise for the short chapter but this is more of a relevant filler. I had no energy to write but I felt I owed it to the readers to make an update. I apologise for the poor chapter and I hope it will suffice till next week. I was also wondering how people would feel if I also wrote a Kingdom Heart's fanfiction as well as this. I hope you all enjoy,read and review.

* * *

He couldn't ask for more than this. An easy breeze caressed anyone in its reach. A sweet smell of the beach flooded everything. The water gently lapped at their feet. They lay glued together at the waters edge. The heat of the sun felt so relaxing,soothing to him. Glancing down,a mess of auburn hair rested against his chest, her scent slowly memorising him. She listened intently to his steady heart beat. They were in perfect harmony. A smiled was plastered across the pale boy's face. He held her as close as possible,never wanting to let her go. She raised her head to look at him sleepily. You could get lost in those eyes. He had never seen anything so beautiful, so memorising. His eyes fell to her lips, his heart racing ever faster. Slowly, the two came together in a blissful embrace. Complete bliss. It was perfect. Too perfect.

Will's eyes shot open, an alarm quietly going off next to his head. Slowly, he reached down and pressed a button on his Digivice. If it wasn't so important he would have hurled it an infinite distance for disturbing his utopia.

"You okay?" Will turned at the voice to see Tai already packing. Wil gave him a quizzical look.

"I have sleeping problems. I thought it would be best to pack up early anyway so we can set out again." Tai said simply, Will studied the bags under his eyes as the memory of the previous night came to him. They had stopped after a few hours, decided to set up camp under a ridge. Glancing into what he assumed was the morning sky, Will noticed subtle grey tones streaking across the sky. Tai threw to Will a small plastic box. He recognised it instantly, it had a small sandwhich. They would have to be careful with food,they had no idea how long they would be here. Glancing around, Will saw both Agumon and Lightmon still fast asleep. Rubbing his eyes, Will made himself more comfortable. He had no idea where he had put his coat, seeing as they had slept in basic sleeping bags.

"What were you dreaming about?" Tai asked. Will stiffened at the very mention of his utopia.

"I don't remember. Why do you ask?" Will lied as best as he could. Tai shrugged.

"You were moaning Sora's name." Will quickly turned away and began to open the small food box.

"I'm sure it was nothing." At that moment, Will wished his utopia had been real so he didn't have to face Tai right now.

* * *

The steady beeping of a machine were definatly something to break your attention. Alex sighed, slowly shutting his book. Gaurd duty,if you could call it that was rather boring. He sat peacefully on a chair, watching the peaceful form of Lianne. If she was awake they could have at least had a conversation. Leaning back in his chair, he gained another disapproving look for a nurse walking by. He had argued,fought and forced his way into the room. He hadn't even bothered with a mask. He waved casually to the nurse.

"Always nice to meet a fan." He said dully. He checked his Digivce. His Digivice was simple, as was his crest. The crest of Life. The Digidestined with this crest was very important. He glanced at the screen, a small white gear turned quickly. He had synched it to Lianne's Digivice. One of his abilities was that he was able to speed up recovery. Cole and Willis, more Willis, had felt it would be a good idea for him to stay with Lianne. If he could help her, it would be best. He remembered what Willis had once said to him.

"The amount of special abilities you have is scary, it's like you're some sort of demi digital god." Alex had laughed that day. If he could save Lianne by doing this, he may start to believe that. His mind wandered from topic to topic, wondering if NeoFlamdramon was this bored on the roof.

* * *

Will and Tai had crept to the top of a small bank, Agumon and Lightmon following their lead. They had no idea what was beyond this point and thought it was best to be very careful. Both Will and Tai carefully peered through binoculars.

"Is this for real?" Tai asked in terror. Will could see exactly why Tai was anxious about this.

"Sadly, yeah." Will replied quietly. Just a short distance away was a small section of a modern city. Towers ripped clean into pieces, cars lay scattered across the entire area,on top of builders,inside of them. A ferry was juttered out of another building. It was a wrecked city, completely deserted.

"I know that building." Tai said quietly. Will turned to him, could it be a real city?

"Where's it from?" Will couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"It's downtown Odaiba. It looks...different thought. Not just the wreckage I mean." Tai was in complete awe of the destruction. They both turned back to the city, there were no lights, no people,no Digimon, nothing but destruction.

"When we delete something on a computer, it's sent here and with the power of the world of Dreams, it becomes a living thing. It's possible an old blue print got scribbled on and deleted and sent here." Will had learnt about the process of Digital existance a long time ago. He had chosen to keep the secret to himself, fearing what others far more intelligent than him could do with that information.

"I thought you said this area of the Digital world was empty, that no other Digidestined would be here." Tai said in a very serious voice. Will flinched.

"It should be. What's wrong?" Will asked, he scanned the area the best he could.

"Far right building, half way up." Will followed Tai's directions. A small fire had started, too small to be something serious, small enough for a camp fire.

"What could it be?" Tai asked in a quieter voice than before. Will's mind worked quickly.

"Another Digidestined? Poissibly a lost Digimon." Will stopped. "Or a Dark Digidestined." Will and Tai stared at each other silently.

"We need a plan." Will said slowly. His mind came up blank. Tai smiled brilliantly.

"Let's rush them." A hint of mischeif in his voice. Will stared blankly at him.

"A bad plan is better than no plan." He had a feeling he'd regret saying that.

* * *

Gennai rushed through another book,eager to find out anything possible. An errie silence fell across the building after Will had left. Izzy had chosen to stay,lending Gennai his skills whilst Sora returned to Odaiba. Gennai groaned in frustration and sat back in his chair. He turned to stare out the window, his eyes watching the clouds peacefully move across the were several floors up, allowing them a nice peaceful view of the area. His eye caught something. Something fast. Quicker than he could react, something smashed through the window sending the room into chaos. Gennai instantly recognised the figure.

"Alex!" It was the veteran Gaurdian he sent to watch over Odaiba with Will. He was injured badly, his face had a large cut across it. Patamond lay unconcious nearby. Glass lay scattered all around.

"Sorry I'm late." Alex said weakly. Gennai quickly assessed his vitals. Alex seemed to be okay, bruising,crakced bones,cuts,exhaustion.

"The sixth Sovereign." Alex began , he didn't have the energy to continue.

"Save your energy." Gennai beganto pick him up as others appeared to helped. Alex pulled Gennai close and whispered.

"He found the third artefact and destroyed it. We've lost." With those words, Alex fell unconcious. Gennai's heart froze. He sent Alex to search the Shadown kingdom for the third artefact and now Will and Tai were there. If the Sovereign was there, they had little or no hope. Gennai didn't move. He could only pray they were safe.


	10. My Secret Comrade

Huzzah! I apologise if it's been a while since I updated but I wanted to wait till I could write this in one go. I also came across a strange idea earlier in the week. How would people feel if I booted up my copy of "The Sims 2" and made four of our favourite Digimon characters? Could be Will, Tai and Matt for example. I'd have it run for something like seven days and then write up the strange adventure. Anybody interested? In any case, I hope you enjoy, read and review! I love those reviews! I can't thank you guys enough for the huge amount of support, it really drives me forward. Also, would people want a sequal to this? Enjoy!

* * *

"Move!" Will pulled Tai down as a rain of bricks crashed where Tai had been standing. They had attempted to try and enter the buildingn where they had seen the light. It was safe to say they had failed. A Black Wargeymon had shot out no where and engaged them. Will pulled Tai futher back into an alleyway.

"This is insane! It's two on one!" Tai panted heavily, his clothes now heavily ruined with dust. Will and Tai watched on as Warrior Strikemon and War Greymon darted around the air. Warrior Strikemon brought down his blade on the Black Wargeymon, only for the warrior Digimon to block it. War Greymon shot around quickly to take advantage of the opening only for the Black Wargeymon to side step the attack. Black Wargeymon acted quickly, pulling one arm back before punching War Greymon a few feet back before reeling his arm back to elbow Warrior Strikemon in the chest.

"This isn't working!" Warrior Strikemon shouted over to his team mate. War Greymon said nothing. To the two War Greymon , it wasn't just a battle , it was a battle over who was the stronger Greymon. Black Wargreymon moved at a lightning speed. Warrior Strikemon moved as best as he could to avoid the leathal black gauntlets. War Greymon shot forward to aid his friend, only for the Black Wargreymon to quickly turn and slam his gauntlet into the War Greymons helmet. War Greymon backed off immediately,ignoring the pain. Warrior Strikemon looked over the Black Wargreymon. The movements were very familiar, it was a very combat exprienced Digimon. Warrior Strikemon made a small nodding movment before shooting off in a random direction. Black Wargreymon was about to give chase, only to have War Greymon body slam him into a nearby deserted building.

"Don't forget about me!" War Greymon growled as he stared into the combat weary eyes of his opponent. War Greymon flew upwards, pulling the Black Wargreymon with him. War Greymon made sure his opponent tore through the building, ripping whatever was left to complete waste. War Greymon quickly kicked his opponent down into the roof as they cleared the top of the building. Dust and debris shot into the air, clouding everyones vision. War Greymon readied himself in the air,never staying still for too long.

"Black Tornado!" War Greymon's eyes darted to where the voice had come from, a large black tornado shot through the air into him. The rocketing black mass of destruction sent the pair crashing into another building across the area. The two War Greymon shot back into the air as the building quickly collapsed in on itself. The two Digimon quickly shot at each other, darting back and forth across the dark sky as they traded blows. Sparks fell from the metal striking metal. They crashed higher and higher before finally breaking apart. They stared each other down. They knew what was coming next. The two figures gathered what they could into a single attack. Two large balls of swirling energy lit the area up. One a royal orange, the other a vicious red. They raised their arms in preparation.

"Terra force!" The two attacks crashed agains't each other, a multicoloured explosion ripped across the sky. It was as if the skt was on fire.

"Did that do it?" Tai asked, the ground had shook under the impact. Will slowly picked himself up as he stared into the multicoloured sky.

"Doubt it." Will replied quietly. As the dust settled, two figures were stood apart from each other. War Greymon breathed heavily as his chipped and cracked armour began to fall away piece by piece. Black Wargreymon stood opposite him,not a scartch on him. No one dared to even breath.

"Lightning ride!" The clouds parted as a yellow streak crashed down into Black Wargreymon. Black Wargreymon crashed into the earth, the ground giving way under the pressure of the attack. Warrior Strikemon held Black Wargreymon in place in the small crater. War Greymon shot down quickly to assist his ally. His eyes caught the image of Warrior Strikemon trying to impale Black Wargreymon with his blade. Black Wargreymon could only hold the blade back as he couldn't change posistion.

"Why're you here?" War Greymon asked in a stern voice.

"He's with me." All eyes turned to where the voice came from. A figure wearing black combat trousers, solid black boots and black t-shirt with red claw marks on it emerged from behind the corner of a building. Will stared at the figure, looking at the familar tanned skin, the brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Quickly, Will moved from the alleyway he had hidden in.

"Trace?"

* * *

"So Tai and Will have just taken off? Just like that?" Matt asked in disbelief as he and Sora sat at a pure white table in a small cafe. Sora lowered her head. Matt couldn't help but be memorised by everything about her. The slightest movements she made held his full attention. The way she could play with her hair, the way she bit her bottom lip when she was worried, anything and everything.

"They get to have all the fun!" Matt said in mock jealously as he ran a hand into his golden hair. Sora looked up and smile as she gazed into his saphire blue eyes. His eyes rivalled the coldest glacier in the world. She wouldn't change them for anything. Her eyes ran over every detail of his face, something she wished she could do forever. Her eyes eventually lead to his lips, oh the possibilities flooded her mind. She blushed heavily and hid behind a menu.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked, his eyes carefully looked for any bit of her face he could find. There simply wasn't enough time for him to ever get used to her eyes. He simply had no words for them.

"Yeah. Fine. I think I'll have the special today." Sora murmurred quietly. Matt smiled,he loved moments like these. They had chosen to go out for dinner tonight to catch up properlly.

"So, you got your eye on anyone these days?" Matt asked suddenly. Sora froze as the menu dropped.

"Uh,no. Why do you ask that?" Sora could barely string her words together properlly as she spoke so fast.

"Curious. You and Will seemed pretty close." Matt smiled simply back at her. She stared into those perfect blue eyes again.

"We're friends. What about you? Anyone in your life?" The answer couldn't come quick enough for her, she needed to know. Matt leaned back in his chair casually and laughed.

"You could say that." Sora's heart dropped. That's not what she needed to hear right now.

"Anyone I know?" She asked so timidly, she didn't want to know. She needed to know. Glancing down at the cutlery, she couldn't bare to stare into his eyes. Matt studied her. It would be so easy to tell her right now. He couldnt just string the words together easily. He wanted to tell her. He needed to tell her. Right now.

"You could say that." Matt looked away. Not now . He would wait untill he had everything perfectly worked out.

* * *

"It's good to see some familiar faces." Trace sat on a large piece of rubble from one of the broken buildings. Will and Tai sat on what they could find, which wasn't the most comfortable diea.

"What are you doing here? Last time I saw you was in your home town after that...situation." Will spoke uneasily at the end, his eyes carefully turning to Tai. Tai made no attempt to bring it up, meaning he udnerstood it was something they couldn't or wouldn't talk about.

"Gennai sent myself and Alex here. Not the Digidestined of Life now. Your Alex. Alex Stone. The ex-gaurdian." Trace explained it simply,making sure they had the right Alex in mind. Will understood how confussing it could get with two Alex's. Alex Dowski, the Digidestined of life and Alex Stone, the first Gaurdian.

"Why did he send you here?" Tai asked simply as he watched the three rookie Digimon eat nearby. Trace looked down. To Will it was obvious something had happened. Comrades knew each other better than anyone. Will and Trace had stood together in dark times not too long ago, battles that had raged across the sky and threatened to bring down every Digidestined in existence. A secret war.

"Trace?" Will asked quietly. Trace looked up, his eyes were nearly empty , barely a spark left in them.

"We were asked to come look for an artefact. To help you stop that damn Sovereign. We found it. We actually found it!" Trace laughed at the memory. Will paled at the fact.

"Where is it now?" Will asked immeditely. Trace stopped laughing.

"The sixth sovereign. He found it at the same time. He destroyed it right infront of us. Alex said he'd deal with the Sovereign himself. Who knew he had a Datacore? He made me leave." Trace looked away. Will understood now. He knew Trace hated leaving others in the middle of a battle.

"Alex though he could win. I don't even know where he is or if he's okay. All I know is that he lost." Trace looked over at his partner.

"How do you know he lost?" Tai asked simply. Trace pulled a small crumpled and burnt metal rectangle from his pocket.

"That's the casing of a Data core. If you lose, it destroys itself. Like this." Silence fell on the group as Trace let the small piece of scrap metal drop to the floor.

"If he did lose he would have gotten away. I've never known him not to survive a battle. He's a lucky one. He probably made his back to Gennai." Will nodded as Trace looked at him. Trace nodded to acknowledge him. One thing had bugged Will.

"Why did Gennai ask you to go? It makes no sense, you're from the otherside of the world." Will watched as Trace ran a hand through his hair.

"Alex and I were from the same city, believe it or not. The Sovereign sent messengers to us, asking us to join him. We refussed and they attacked, hurt a lot of people. We told Gennai we wanted to help." Tai stared at him in disbelief.

"This is worse than Gennai was expecting!" Tai stood up and looked around.

"What do you mean?" Will asked smiply, he never could keep up with Tai.

"This Sovereign isn't just attacking us. He's attacking the real world, places we can't get to. He's recruiting Digidestined too! He's planning a massive attack!" Tai looked around , hoping to find the bag he had dropped earlier.

"Nothing we can do right now." Trace said simply. Tai spun round and faced him angrily.

"He's right Tai." Will started, he decided it would be good to finish before Tai interupted him.

"We're in the middle of no where. Our Digimon are exhausted. We can communicate with Gennai in the morning and send a message to the others and Izzy can co-ordinate them. Best thing we can do is get some rest." Tai looked at Will in defeat. He hated it when Will was right.

"You can camp out where I was. If it's still in one piece. I have a small camp in one of the taller buildings with a fire." Trace pointed to the building they had seen the light from. Everything stopped as lightning cracked in the sky behind them. Silence fell across the group. The lightning appeared and vanished quicker than anything else. Will glanced at Trace, the memories of the secret war flooding back to him. It was something he didn't want to relive anytime soon.

* * *

If people are interested in "The Secret War" I suggest you go and read etiger1995's fanfiction, "Return of darkness". Trace is also owned etiger1995.


	11. Our hearts

I'm ill. Short chapter. Wanted to explore the characters more. God I hate doctors...

* * *

Embers floated lazily into the air. Wind passed through the broken and scarred building. Light rain fell outside. Glancing around, Tai saw everyone was asleep. Everyone except him. Of course he wasn't, sleep wasn't his thing anymore. Whenever he slept, he dreamt of her. The one he vowed to forever protect. His eyes stared though what he thought was the only intact window left. Counting the stars, he let his mind wander. Originally, he would finish puzzles, rhymes, codes. Now he had to focus on a problem at hand. They had lost one of the artefacts. He covered his face with his hands, attempting to hide from the world. How were they meant to fight this Sovereign without the only weapon they had? They needed all four artefacts, now they could only get three at most. Maybe those would hurt him? Tai sighed heavily. That wouldn't work, they needed all four to work at all. The D-cores could help. How he wasn't sure. He'd have to annoy Will or Trace for information.

"Sora." A weak tired voice carried across the room. They had all camped out where Trace was, in a small office. A tiny barricade of filing cabinets and heavy desks, a small fire in the middle. Tai sat on the desk nearest the window. He turned, seeing it was Will who had said her name. Tai shook his head before looking down. They were both aware she wanted Matt. Not them. Tai was branded the best friend. Will was...something else. Tai had racked his mind, what did Matt have that or Will lacked? This is why he liked puzzles, he didn't need to figure out Sora's mind. It was painfully obvious why Will and Sora were close. They were the same piece. They were exactly alike on the base level. She was the Digidestined of Love. He was the replacement for the Digidestined of Love. Friendship. If Tai rememebred correctly, he was also Matt's replacement. Tai laughed hollowly. He suddenly felt very sorry for Will. If Will and Sora were the same on the base level, so where Matt and Will. His laugh grew a bit louder. She was only close to Will, because Will was the closest to what she wanted. If you can't have Matt, why not have Matt version two? She was using him! The idea was so obvious. It was staring him in the face. His laughed stopped as he caught a sob in his throat. She wasn't like that. The very idea of her acting like that disgusted him. He knew her bette than that. She was close to Will because he had saved her. Just like he himself had done a long time ago. Tai turned back to Will. Whatever the case, if she using him as a replacement for Matt, it didn't change facts. Tai and Will were her stepping stones to Matt. Tai quickly leapt from the desk and raced down a small abandoned corridor. Throwing his fist into the wall, a small crack echoed. Placing his head to the wall, he couldn't hold it back anymore. The sobs escaped in waves. Crashing to his knees, his forced his head to stay agains't the wall. Why had she chosen Matt? Why? The question spiraled around forever in his mind. That one sentence she had spoken to him after the date.

"I'm sorry, Tai." She had been so beautiful that night. So irresistable. Completely flawless. He'd trade his soul for her. He'd give his life for her. Why couldn't he have her?

"It's not fair!" Tai's tiny voice escaped between the sobs. He had to be the strong one. He had to lead everyone to victory. He kept them going. But who kept him going? She did. Sora was his very drive for everything. She was his drug. His own personal addiction. He would be the one to drag Will through this when he went through this. How was he supposed to do that when there was no one for him? His entire being called out for one thing. Just one set of arms. One set of eyes. One head of auburn hair. His being was calling for her. He needed her. But that wasn't allowed. He'd have to learn to cope alone. Alone without her. Alone in the dark.

* * *

Work. Work work work. Yolei hated working in that store. Things were only slightly interesting when her friends had come to visit her or if they needed something. The store was dead today. Yolei removed her glasses and cleaned them in a haze. Routine. She wasn't really reading the magazine in front of her, just skimming it. Her mind was elsewhere. She was praying,no,craving for someone to come in. Someone like Will or Alex. Whenever someone like them came in, something interesting was going on. She froze as she thought of Alex. The guy who had captivated her the second she laid eyes on him. Her mind played out all the events infront of her. Whenever she thought of the day Tai , Matt and Will confronted him, her mind went hazy. Maybe he had drugged her? Maybe he planned to rape her or use as a human shield? Who knows. From what Will had said, he was a very honourable person. Unpredictable,but honourable. She didn't buy it. Would she ever meet someone? The closest thing she had had to a date in months resulted in a battle. Her mind drifted, Will was interesting though. He was very interesting. Her mind swam with possibilties. She stood up and waved the air infront of her. Nothing would ever happen. It was obvious who he was interested in. Shame she couldn't steal him away, her life would certainly be more interesting for a little while. Grinning madly, Yolei began to form a plan. She instantly dismissed it, returning to her magazine. It would never work. Silence feel on her mind and the shop. Back to dull and boring. Back to being alone.

The bell chimed. Looking up Yolei watched as the familiar figure of Ken walked in. Same pale grey suit. Same dark black hair with a blue tint.

"Hello, Yolei. How are you today?" He greeted politly. He could be interesting. Her face lit up, excitment dancing across her features. Ken stepped back towards the door.

"Yolei are you okay? You've got the evil look in your eyes again." Ken memorised the location of the door, just in case. Oh, how had she missed him of all people? She liked guys older than her, but Ken. Ken was younger. A year younger. Something new. Something interesting.

* * *

Talking. Very fast talking. Very energentic talking. Syao had originally agreed to work with Elegon and Momaru, but he never expected how much energy Elegon really had. Syao was currently staring at the passing clouds. They had decided to hide behind some scrap metal, deep in the heart of a rubbish tip. Why? They suspected the Royal Knights were near. Elegon would pass off some fun comment, Momaru would shoot him down. She was more gentle towards Elegon than she was to him. Self defense mechanism maybe? Syao shut his eyes, letting the cool wind mask his face. Every spare moment of his time his mind drifted back. Kari. She was something special. Something different. Somehow, from simply helping rescue her, she had clawed her way into his mind. They had met and talked a few times,each time he became more and more interested in her. He had always looked for adventure, now he just wanted to look for her. Pure. Innocent. Kind. She was all of those and more. The sound of metal shifting against metal woke him form his thoughts.

"Show time." Syao said very quietly, only loud enough for his team mates to hear. He didn't original want to stay in this city. Then he met her. His anchor. He swore to protect the city, for her. Syao carefully turned and peeked around the scrap metal. There. The Royal Knight sat patiently. Syao was going to fight. To protect the city. For her. Only her.


	12. Twisting Paths

I'm back. I'm sorry about the delay in the updates, I am aware it has been roughly two weeks since I last posted a chapter. I have had a stomach bug for the last two-three weeks however and only just gotten over it. I didn't wish to update with a very poor quality chapter and decided to wait till I was better before writing again. At least that was what I planned. My girlfriend decided enough was enough, she elbowed me in the ribs and then pushed me out of bed this morning and told me to get off my ass and update. I will be returning to a weekly update timetable but I will also be starting a Kingdom Hearts story very soon and I Have also began work on a professional novel I aim to submit to a publisher someday. In any case, read, enjoy and review.

* * *

"Well this is certainly fair." Three very powerful mega level Digimon circled around one target. A large pink Royal Knight. Crusadermon. Her eyes carefully scanned her opponents. Gallantmon. Celemon. Ignusmon. Her eyes noticed the three Digidestined, a small distance away.

"Are you aware there is a truce currently? This action could provoke a brand new conflict."

"You broke that truce when you infected a Digidestined." Crusadermon's eyes darted to the girl in the middle of the two young men. Momaru. The tallest of them two young men went to speak but Momaru's hand quickly covered his mouth.

"Let me handle this Elegon!" Syao simply shook his head as Elegon struggled to breath and muffled a quiet reply. Scrap metal shifted slightly as Crusadermon carefully shifted her weight.

"Don't even think about it." Celemon held a meteor bow ready, carefully aimed for the head of Crusadermon. Folding her arms, Crusadermon let out a sigh.

"Whatever you meant by one of us infecting one your people, I don't know what you're talking about. I do however have some information which may help you. As long as you get this lot to back off." Crusadermon nodded in the direction of the three mega level Digimon surrounding her. Momaru said nothing for a short while.

"How can we be sure it wasn't one of you who did it?" Momaru asked in a stern voice.

"If it was us, we would have launched a full attack on you. Incase you didn't notice, I haven't fought back or tried to attack anyone here." Crusadermon replied dully, almost as if she was bored.

"Guys, back off." Momaru said slowly. The three mega level Digimon moved away slowly , making sure they were close enough to Crusadermon, just incase.

"What's the information you have?" Momaru said sharply, causing Elegon to flinch. Syao couldn't help but wonder how they hadn't been killed yet.

"We picked up a signal invading the real world. It was just a Digimon but the source was from the Nightmare World. In other words, it wasn't us." Crusadermon crossed her arms, she was becomming increasingly bored with this.

"Then who do you think it was?" Momaru said quickly. A chilling voice carried to all of them. Hair stood to attention at the sound of the voice. It was as if nails were being dragged down a chalkboard.

"That would be me." All eyes turned quickly to the souce of a voice. A pale red knight,wrapped in a dark cloak was walking slowly towards them. Crusadermon raised her arms into a defensive stance before turning her head to the Digidestined.

"Get ready, I've a feeling this is going to be bad."

* * *

A chilly wind blasted through the city. Clouds began to move together to begin a storm. People were now crowding inside coffee shops and cafes hoping to warm up. Traffic was beginning to back up for miles. None of these mattered to one boy in perticular. Yamato Ishida. Lead guitarist of the "Teenage Wolves". He was Matt, the Digidestined of Friendship. His blond hair was styled to perfection. His icey blue saphires radiated with a gleam that screamed happiness. He didn't care he was feezing cold. He didn't care he might get caught in the rain. He didn't care that Jun may be following him again. Tucked under one arm was a small pink bag. Inside was something very small. Something pefect. Perfect for her. Just thinking of it, his smile grew wider and wider. Tomorrow was the day he would do it. Tomorrow would be the day he could finally do what he wanted to do for a long time. Even if it backfired, he still wanted to do it. Nothing would stop him. This was something had done completely by himself. No help from his friends. Friends. The thought that some of his friends were off on some life endagering trek in the Digital world was the only thing that drowned his smile. He should be there with them. Keeping them out of trouble. Helping them. Stopping in the middle of the street, he realised he had abandoned his friends. He had accepted they wanted him to stay and protect the city. He didn't fight it. He should have. He should be there. Everyone had their role to play. This was his. Next time there was something dangerous to do. He'd be the first to go. Tucked under his arms wasn't just what he had been planning for months, it was everything for the future. Everything for him. Everything for her.

* * *

Dead leaves littered the ground. Broken twigs and branches fell randomly. Trees were overturned. Treking through the Shadow Kingdom was surely something different. Trace, Tai and Will said nothing as they moved slowly through the dead forst. They were tired, Even the Digimon. Travelling all day, everyday. It was going to become routine. They had split the large amount of equipment and food between them and carried an equal share. Time moved faster in this section of the Digital world, the days were shorted and the nights were longer. Running a hand across his chin, Will felt bristly hair. He needed to shave. He wanted to shave so badly. The one thing he always forgot, a razor. He mentally and physically smacked himself for it. He glanced at Trace.

"You doing okay there Trace?" Trace looked up at him. His eyes held something new. Will recognised it isntantly. War torn eyes.

"Yeah I'm fine. Doing better than Tai anyway." Traced smirked slightly.

"You wish!" Will looked at Tai, he seemed fine but his eyes were off. They were tired. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Will made a small mental note to try to find out what was bothering him later on.

"Can we stop for food?" Everyone turned to Agumon with a raised eyebrow. Lightmon and Black Wargreymon's eye lit up at the idea of food.

" You are an hour ago!" Tai protested at the idea. A howl ripped across the forest. A fierce wind slammed into them, sending leaves everywhere.

"What the hell was that?" Trace asked as he covered his face from the leaves.

"No idea but lets not stick around to find out." Tai began to move forward with his suggestion. Will nodded.

"Agreed. Let's move." The group began to move quickly. The group raced to the edge of the forest, emerging along a small cliff. Something small and grey fell from the sky and shot into the ground infront of them. Everyone stopped. A small grey human figure, a black ring around it's neck,emerged from the dust. No one moved an inche. Will glanced to his left, there wasn't much room on this cliff and below was just an ocean of trees. Dozens of grey figures began to impact into the ground, all emerging from the dust.

"What the hell are they?" Tai asked in a defensive tone.

"I've no idea." All the Digimon agreed with Agumon,they had never seen any of them before. More and more grey figures began to ermge from the tree line, dust, everywhere. Trace and Black Wargreymon turned so they were back to back with the others.

"Hate it break it to you guys, but we're surrounded." No one said anything, Black Wargreymon simply raised his dramon killers, ready for a battle.

Alex stretched carefully. The Digidestined of Life felt a walk in oder, even if it was only outside the room. He was still stuck in the hospital gaurding Lianne. Deciding to leave for a small break, he had wandered to a small vending machine in hopes of finding some food. He had recieved no orders from Will or Gennai. No reply from Willis or Cole. Nothing. No company. Not even NeoFlamedramon was talking right now. Taking a sip from the small can of coke he'd just bought, he pushed his way into the small hospital room where Lianne was situated. His eyes fell to the bed. Empty. No one was there.

"Crap. Where is she?" Something heavy struck Alex across the back of the head, knocking him to the floor. Everything in the room was spinning as pain exploded across the back of his head.


	13. Agressive Negotiations

I apologise that this chapter has come out later like the last one. I felt,however, it would be better to update with a chapter bigger than usual. It would have been much longer but there is a fair bit to take in and a lot happening at the same. Things are finally starting to pick up pace in this story. =D I hope you read, enjoy and review!

* * *

The room was spining, colours mixing into other colours. Shapes blurred and moved around the room. Twisting his body, Alex felt a weight crash down ontop of him,trapping him to the floor. A weight came across his neck. Someone was pinning him to the floor by the neck using their arm.

"Who the hell are you?" A feminine voice. Alex blinked rapidly, trying to focus on the blurred image above him. Lianne.

"Chill." He said weakly. He needed control of this situation.

"How am I supposed to chill when I wake up in a room in a hospital with some guy I've never met before?" Lianne barked down to him. Alex scanned his mind. He was sure they had met. Maybe the knock on the head did more than disoreintate him.

"In case you didn't realise it. My Digivice is probably the only thing keeping you alive. If something happened to disrupt the connection, such as me falling uncouncious you may die. Will would kill me if that happened. So for both of our sakes, get off me. Please." Alex felt her shifting off of him. She quickly stood but made no effort to help Alex to his feet. Alex scrambled across the floor slowly before sitting with his back against the wall. He felt the back of his head with his hand. No bleeding, just some swelling. Lianne stared down at him. Exhaustion swept over her.

"Just why did you try to knock me out?" Alex said swfitly. Lianne folded her arms.

"Well what would you do if you woke up somewhere with someone you don't know next to you." Alex looked up at her, she was much paler than before.

"Point taken." Shifting slightly, Alex looked directly at her.

"I need to fill you in on a few things."

* * *

Flower. Roots. Flower. Roots. She had been staring at the same ceiling pattern for over an hour now. Sora slowly sat up in her bed. It was no use, she had failed to do two things. Get more sleep and stop thinking of Tai and Will. She was sure they could take care of themselves. Although the Shadow Kingdom sounded like a very dangerous place. She remembered just how anxious Will seemed just telling her about his exprience as he hit the border of the area a few years ago. She was sure he was only acting brace, it still hadn't been long since he lost Mark and David. Her heart skipped a beat, another image of them being injured. They had always gone on the adventure as a group. Now Tai and Will were alone, no back up, no group.

Sora's eyes fell to her door, she half expected Will to just walk in quietly and calm all her fears. He had a natural talent of sensing when she was worried. A faint smile danced across her face as she remembered Will taking care of her whilst her mum was away. How he was always there, ready with some advice or just some rememdies he knew of. She always wondered, did he only take care of him because it was what he was meant to do, or did he want to do it. She made a note to ask him one day. Her skipped again, another bad image. He had Tai to help him.

Tai. Her best friend. Drifting through her memories, she traced over the details of his wild hair. How he loved soccer. How she had once had a crush on him. If only she hadn't been so afraid of acting at the time. Instead she chose to wait till she lost her feelings and he found his own. It didn't work for them. She had been thrilled at the idea, but it didn't feel right. Sora looked down, her eyes covered in sadness.

Eventually she made her way downstairs immediately to the door to check for any post. Her eyes fell on a small white envelope. As she picked it up, she saw it was adressed to her. Written very well. Neat. Inside was one small tiny piece of paper.

"Are you ready to play a game?"

* * *

Rushing forward,the red knight collided with the Royal Knight. The two quickly engaged in a short hand to hand fight before breaking apart.

"I'd expect more of a Royal Knight." The red knight shot back a few feet, Crusadermon readied himself for another attack.

"You should leave Digidestined. This is a Royal Knight affair." Crusadermon spoke in a low dangerous tone. He was worried. Before anyone could act, the red knight pulled away the cloak. Deadly red armour, golden trim, gold mane running from the helmet and a light gold cape sat proudly on the armour. A large lion's head decorated the right shoulder gaurd with a golden mane.

"That looks like a ..." Momaru started but never finished.

"Who are you?" Elegon shouted over, cutting Momaru off. The red knight cocked their head side to side.

"Warrior Strikemon." A low rumbling voice. Crusadermon didn't move, waiting for the next attack. Syao's eyes never left the red knight.

"How are you a Warrior Strikemon? The only Warrior Strikemon I know of is a blue knight with a wolf." Ignusmon readied himself just incase.

"Oh? They never told you?" The red knight laugh slowly. He rushed forward, feinging an attack to the left only to slam his fist into Crusadermon's head. The Royal Knight stumbled back.

"So slow." The red Warrior Strikemon stood upright, lowering his arms.

"Never told us what?" Momaru asked sharply. Crusadermon rushed forward, he couldn't let them know. He threw a quick punch aimed at the torso, only for the red Warrior Strikemon to block it. The red knight pushed the attack aside before slamming his head into Crusadermon's. Crusadermon stumbled back dazed as the Warrior Strikemon rushed forward and with a single punch, knocked Crusadermon back several feet as he crashed inot the ground.

"Each and every Warrior Strikemon is different. The one you are comfortable with is designed after is a Wolf. I am obviously designed after a lion. All Warrior Strikemon are designed after the sixth Sovereign. We are his personal soliders. After all, we are virus Digimon." The Warrior Strikemon explained slowly, no one dared to interupt him. The red Warrior Strikemon shifted his head to the side, a singlw arrow whizzed past him. Warrior Strikemon raised his arms in defence as Celemon's bow nearly came into contact with his head.

"I always wanted to fight Warrior Strikemon. Guess you'll have to do." Celemon pulled back for a split second, dodging a quick jab before firing off a meteor bow at point blank range into the Warrior Strikemons chest. Warrior Strikemon shot across the junk yard before the arrow exploded as he collided with a mountain of rusting cars. Dust and debris rocketed into the sky.

"Not bad." Celemon didn't have time to blink. She barely turned her head. The Warrior Strikemon was fast. Too fast. One swift strike and Celemon crashed into a pile of junk at the opposite end of the junk yard.

"I am here with a message to you. The Sovereign offers his hand in peace. If you join him, it will benefit everyone greatly. You have already seen my power and what I am capable of, you're friend in hospital will prove that. You can not even comprehend his." The Warrior Strikemon stood patiently, waiting for a reply. Syao looked at the others and smirked. He already knew their reply.

"Go to hell." Ignusmon readied himself. The Warrior Strikemon shook his head.

"Shame. He wished to have you most of all. King of the west." Syao stiffened as Warrior Strikemon pulled a long clean golden sword from under his cape.

* * *

Sora stepped carefully into the park. The letter from earlier that morning had instructions for her to go to certain places, like a treasure hunt. At each location she would pick up another letter left for her and she'd follow it. There,pinned to a tree. She jogged offer and carefully pulled it from the tree.

"Have you ever loved someone Sora? Never had the courage to tell them? Never been brave enough to admit it? Watch these people passing by. People out for lunch. Walking their dogs. Running. Imagine having to watch the person you love always unaware of your existance. I love you, Sora Takeanouchi. Come to the centre of the maze." Sora immedietely started running. Her heart was pounding. She had to know who it was. Her mind raced through the possibilities. She had already eliminated Will and Tai as they were in the Digital world. Her heart sank as she realised it wasn't one of them. She couldn't understand why she felt disappointed. Racing forward, she turned corner after corner in the maze. She knew it very well, thanks for Tai and her getting lost in it many years. She quickly rushed past an old couple into the centre of the maze.

"Hey, Sora." Sora stopped at the sound of the smooth polished voice. Matt. He carefully stepped forward.

"Sorry about the creepy letters. It seemed a good idea at the time. Last time I ever speak to Mimi, I promise." Matt rubbed the back of his neck sheepisly. Sora took every detail of him, jet black jeans and a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"What's this all about Matt?" She had a feeling but couldn't bring herself to think. Matt crept ever closer.

"Thought the letters explained that." Matt took a long deep breath. "I love you Sora. I have for a while now, I've just been scared of telling you. There never seemed to be a good time. I swear half of my bands songs are about you. Corny right?" Matt kept getting closer and closer before holding out his hand.

"I understand if you don't feel the same but I'm telling you out of respect for you. You deserve to know and whatever happens today, I'd like you to have this." In his hands was a small pink box, inside it was a long silver chain. At the end of the chain was a small red ruby heart held inside a bigger silver heart. Sora was speechless, she couldn't say anything. She couldn't even move. She was sure her heart had stopped. Was this really happening? tears began to well in her eyes. She closed the gap as quick as she could, before pulling him into a long and unsuspected kiss. It took Matt a few seconds to realise what was happening before he settled into it and returned it. They eventually broke apart.

"You fool." Sora cried into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I take it you feel the same then?" Matt asked cheekily. She slapped him lightly. He smiled brilliantly as he held her. Nothing could ruin this moment. With her head on his chest, she listened to his erractic heartbeat. Slowly, a gentle smile creapt across her face. The ground shook as the sky turned a violent shade of red. The sound of an explosion rocketed across the city.

"What's going on?" Matt asked quietly.

* * *

The small army of grey creatures slowly inched closer. Creeping up on the group, more and more. Will's foot slipped from the top of the cliff, small bits of rubble falling to the forest below as Will lurched forward in attempt to stay where he was. He couldn't see the ground, no way out of this mess either. Black Wargreymon shot forward, swiping at several of the strange humanoid creatures. They fell apart easily, only to reform seconds later.

"What do we do?" Trace muttered angrily. Black Wargreymon only grunted angrily in response.

"We could jump." Tai said quietly. Will laughed, they had the exact same idea.

"I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but we're starting to think very similar things Tai." Will and Tai laughed.

"Of course it's a good thing!" Tai continued to laugh as he gave a reply.

"This isn't a time for jokes!" Trace brought them back to the reality of the situation they we're in. They grey creatures stopped suddenly,frozen in time.

"Why did they stop?" Tai asked quietly, as if the slightest sound would wake them.

"That would be because I ordered them to stop. You see, I have an ability to control and create them." A large dark grey approached them from the tree line. His hand rested on the handle of his sword, seethed to his waist. Dark grey armour with black trim. Long flowing black cape and mane. A large eagle's head sat on his right shoulder gaurd.

"Crap. It's a Warrior Strikemon." Will backed up even more, Lightmon inched closer to him.

"What?" Both Tai and Trace turned to him in shock.

"If we surive this I'll explain!" Will turned his had. He prayed it wasn't a big drop.

"I'm here to offer you a deal. The Great Sovereigns extends his invitation for you to join him. What is your answer?" No one said anything. The Warrior Strikemon tightened his grip on his sword. He pulled it from his seethe ever so slightly.

"Jump!" The group turned and leapt from the cliff.


	14. The Flames Of War

This chapter was originally meant to be the second half of the previous chapter but I decided to split it. How's this for a double weekend update?

Thank you for you continued support, it means so much to know that there are people who are enjoying this story.

I hope you read, enjoy and review!

* * *

The echoe of metal grinding on metal echoed for miles. The battle field that was the junk yard was damaged beyond recognition. Gallantmon and the Lion Warrior Strikemon had met in a fierce deadlock. Scraps of metal still rained down, fires had started around the area, a large empty space was all was left of the deadlock. Gallantmon's armour was blackened and cracked as he fell to one knee. Momaru had yelled in fear as the Warrior Strikemon approached, his sword drawn.

"Ignusmon!" Syao shouted for his partner to intervene, Celemon was down, so was Crusadermon. In the space of minutes three powerful mega level Digimon had been defeated. Ignusmon, the amoured firey Digimon rushed in, sword raised. The two Digimon met with a resounding crash.

" Back off!" Ignusmon growled. Syao watched as Gallantmon slowly picked himself up, flexing his arm where his shield used to be. Gallantmon growled dangerously low as he clicked his neck.

"You shouldn't try to fight! Leave this to Ignusmon!" Momaru protested as she watched her partner reach for his lance nearby.

"I can handle this!" Ignusmore shouted over, his voice ragged as he held back another attack.

"My honour as a Royal Knight is at stake." Gallantmon turned to face his partner. "I would not be able to live if I did not protect you with everything I have." Gallantmon raised his lance and charge. Ignusmon quickly leapt back, causing Warrior Strikemon to stumbled forward slightly throwing him off balance. Warrior Strikemon barely raised his dull red sword in time. Ignusmon appeared behind Warrior Strikemon his sword moving towards the armoured head of his opponenet. The Warrior Strikemon twisted and controted his body so he could raise his leg to block the sword of fire before righting himself, slamming his elbow into the face of Gallantmon. As Gallantmon stumbled back slightly, Warrior Strikemon took the chance and attacked. His free hand ignited in dull red flame before connecting with the torso of Gallantmon. Gallantmon shot back across the junk yard , crashing through several piles of wreckage before finally skidding to a stop . Momaru raced over to her partner. Syao clenched his fists.

"It's down to us Ignusmon! Give him hell!" Syao turned to see Elegon still by his partner Celemon. Syao nodded to Elegon before turning back to the battle.

"Good! Now we get to see what the Kings of the west can really do!" Warrior Strikemon rushed in, blade ready. The two Digimon met in a flurry of attacks and blocks. They moved as fast as lightning, no one could keep their eyes on them for long. With every swing from Ignusmon, fire would rain in a certain direction. Ignusmon leapt away up in the air to dodge a low swing. WIth a quick flick of his sword, a tower of raging fire desceneded on Warrior Strikemon. With a swing of his own sword, Warrior Strikemon raised a wall of dull red flames to block the bright orange fire. The two Digimon stood an equal distance from each other.

"Not bad. Red flare!" Warrior Strikemon's sword glowed red for a second before laucnhing a ball of dull red fire roared across the distance. Ignusmon didn't move. With a simple flick of his sword, Ignusmon deflected the red ball of fire into the sky. It soared up before exploding. The ground rocked again as the battle field become cluttered with falling debris from piles of rubble and scrap metal. Cars fell and tumbled. Warrior Strikemon traced his sword with his hand. It ignited in dull red flames. The final shell of a car fell and the two warriors of flame rushed towards each other again. As they crashed together in a dead lock, red and orange flames escaped around them. A circle of pure flame ignited around them. Syao watched, everything he had promised to himself came flooding back. His vow to protect this city. For her.

"Come on! You got this!" He encouraged his partner at the top of his lungs. Ignusmon began to win the deadlock,pushing away the Warrior Strikemon. Forcing the deadlock up, Ignusmon took a quick lunge with his sword. Warrior Strikemon leapt away to the edge of the ring. Ignusmon acted, now was the moment.

"Dragons sphere!" With each flick of his sword, a bright orange ball of raging flame shot towards Warrior Strikemon. The red knight could abrely react to all of them. Shooting up into the air, Warrior Strikemon blocked as many as he could, his armour and cape now burning lightly. He floated above Ignusmon and growled angrily. His free arm blazed into flame again. He held it for a few seconds before firing off a huge ball of flame at point blank range into Ingusmon. Dust kicked up in every direction. Debris fell everywhere. The ground was scorched black and scrap metal had shot out in every direction. Silence fell. Nothing moved. Crusadermon struggled to sit up , he was at a loss for words. Momaru and Elegon looked on,silently praying. Syao grinned. A low rumble began. From the dust, a huge pillar of bright orange fire soared into the sky. It took on shape into a deadly dragon, it's target clear. The dragon , purely made of fire ,soared into the sky chasing Warrior Strikemon. The jaws opened in preparation for it's target. Warrior Strikemon only had seconds to react. Warrior Strikemon blocked the vicious teeth of flame from closing in on him. The dragon changed direction direction and forced him into the ground. When the dragon impacted with the ground, a pillar of pure flame reached into the sky. The heat mealted away everything in it's path. The impact cracked and split the earth.

"Did that do it?" Elegon asked, quiet with anticipation. Emerging slowly from the clouds of dust and fire, Warrior Strikemon walked towards them. His armour had two long lines down the front, marks from the teeth of the dragon. His mane and cape completely burnt off.

"You are something special Ignusmon, but this isn't over yet!" Warrior Strikemon's armour burst into dull red flame, he hald his sword forward, ready for a final attack. Ignusmon acknowledged what he wished to do and took the same stance. Two large wings of pure orange flame unrolled behind Ignusmon. Bright orange flame circled all around Ignusmon. It was obvious the power of these two Digimon was well beyond normal Digimon. The two reached each other qucikly. Orange and red flame flew into the air and split around the area. Fire raged where ever you looked. Equal amounts of orange and red. The smoke eventually cleared to reveal both warriors still standing, their backs turned to each other. Both now showed damaged from the battle. An extra line of damaged was now across Warrior Strikemon's chest. One of Ignusmon's wings was cut in half. They turned and faced each other, neither dared to move anymore. A high pitched whistle carried through the air. Everyone turned their heads to the sky, hundreds of missles were headed towards Warrior Strikemon. Both warriors of flame leapt away. Warrior Strikemon cut and deflected as many missles as possible before leaping into the air to avoid more. A large green and white Digimon landed near the Digidestined. Rapidmon.

"Need a hand?" Everyone turned to see a young blonde boy arriving, he was wearing a large white coat.

"Name's Willis." He was closely followed by another boy, his coat sleeves were ripped off.

"This is cole. We're both Gaurdians, friends of Will's." A large heavily armoured red horse Digimon appeared next to the Rapidmon. Sleipmon, in one arm a large sheild,in the other, a crossbow. Warrior Strikemon looked at his new opponents and saw Ignusmon was still standing. He raised his sword and pointed at Ignusmon.

"This isn't over. We'll fight again. I want to test your realy power. Kings of the west." With his final words, Warrior Strikemon vanished in a black void. Syao sighed heavily and looked to the sky before turning to face the new arrivals.

"You show up at the end of a battle? Not exactly good Gaurdians are you?" Syao smiled, he could relax now,even if it was only for a little while.

* * *

Battered and brusied. Tired and sore. The small rag tag grouped had escaped to a small clearing and set up camp inside a cave before covering the entrance with broken trees. They wouldn't have survived jumping from the cliff if Black Wargreymon hadn't caught them and broke the fall with his body. Since then they had been running. Will and Lightmon had been deathly silent the entire time. Tai and Traced looked at each other and watch Will in the darkness. It was hard to see in the cave without a fire. That's what they had been working on now. However, getting Agumon to start a fire without burning the trees covering the entrance was harder than it sounds. A small fire sat between them all. The cave was surprisingly big. Black Wargreymon could even fit inside it. All of the supplies they had been able to grab were stashed at the back of the cave. No one said anything. Will lay against the cave wall, his head titled upwards with his eyes closed. Lightmon slept soundly nearby with the other Digimon. Trace lay on his back, complaining about a slight pain. Tai sat with his legs crossed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I think it's time I explained , why there are different Warrior Strikemon." Will's voice carried through the cave easily. Trace sat up and looked directly at Will but said nothing. Tai didn't change posistion.

"At the same time the original five Sovereigns came into existance, there were fifteen Lightmon born. Each Lightmon reached the Mega level very quickly. They were all different. Lightmon here is designed after a wolf. Others were designed after a tutrle, lion,panda. The one we saw was designed after an eagle." The army of grey creatues flashed in their mind.

"Not only did each Warrior Strikemon looked different, each one had a specific power. My Warrior Strikemon can use lightning attacks. The lion Warrior Strikemon can control fire. The one we met, the eagle, can create those grey creatures. His own personal army. Eventually the Sovereigns built an army. The Warrior Strikemon went on to become the soliders and generals of that army. The majority of the army were the grey creatures the eagle Warrior Strikemon created. Nothing could stop them but something happened." Will went silent. He had wished Lightmon's legacy would never catch up with them.

"What happened?" Tai asked quietly, paying very close attention to Will's every word.

"There were two Warrior Strikemon who were stronger than everyone else. They reached the Super Ultimate level. Holy Lightmon and Dark Lightmon. They could rival the Sovereigns on their own but chose to support them. For a while. One day, they DNA Digivolved. They Digivolved past the Super Ultimate level into something new. They became the Sixth Sovereign, the very same one we're fighting now. A war started between the Sixth Sovereign who lead the other thirteen Warrior Strikemon against the Sovereigns." Will took another breath before continuing.

"Over time the Warrior Strikemon were eventually deleted. Only a few remain. Lightmon here joined the Sovereigns and went onto become my partner. Now that the Sixth Sovereign is back, the surviving Warrior Strikemon will join him. I know there are currently three alive. Eagle. Lion. Turtle. The Turle Warrior Strikemon wishes to have no part in the problems of the Digital world though so I hope he stays that way. This means we have a problem though." Both Tai and Trace leaned in.

"What's the problem?" Trace asked quickly.

"The eagle is the Sixth Sovereigns Grand general. If he's here, the Sixth Sovereign is nearby and now he's aware of our presecence here." Tai and Trace swore lightly.

"So we're against the clock and the Sovereign's army now." Tai almost wanted to laugh.

"He was probably looking for me. Wants to make sure I haven't got anything that could help the Digidestined." Trace said quietly. Trace's heart sank, it was his fault the army was here. Silence fell over the group, only the sound of a crackling fire could be heard.

"One thing's certain. We need those D-Cores and we need to get out of here before we're found. Who ever said this was going to easy? So suck it up , we've got work to do!" Tai flashed his trade mark grin. Will and Trace nodded, Tai was still the leader. He would always be the one to raise the team morale.

"If we run into that Warrior Strikemon again, I want to fight him." All heads turned to Black Wargreymon.

"Why?" Will asked quietly.

"He hunted us and hurt my friends. I want to destroy him myself." Black Wargreymon's voice rumbled low and dagerously.

"So, beat down the Sovereigns army, grab a few D-Cores and kill the Sovereign. Simple!" Tai smiled and pumped a fist into the air. It was as simple as that. They were going to fight.


	15. Transistion Of Pieces

Howdy. I can only apologise for the long absence of updates from this story. I haven't abandoned it, it's just that real life took over for a little while. Seriously, you try writing a chapter whilst moving to a new apartment half way across the city. I have promised a "super update" to various other users who have contacted me recently. The "super update" is a series of chapters to be uploaded in quick succession. I aim to upload every other day or every few days till Jan 4th if possible. I hope this can make amends for my absence. I hope you all read, enjoy and review. Again, I can only apologise.

* * *

Turning in the soft warmth of her bed, Sora slowly closed her eyes. The events of the day gone by washed over her in waves. An explosion had rocketed across a part of the city. The devastation around the junk yard had been huge. Matt had checked on it himself, he had called her afterwards. Two of the Gaurdian Captains and Will's team had been in the middle of a battle. They were all meeting tomorrow to talk about their situation. Strategies and plans. Slowly,her mind drifted to what she had been doing before the explosion. Her eyes shot open. She couldn't distinguish anything in the darkness, her eyes not yet completely adjusted to the dark. Had that really happened? Had Matt confessed to her? Could they even work together? Had she picked the right one? Her heart thumped heavily and flopped. If she had been so happy about being with Matt at the time, why was another Digidestined on her mind right now? Slowly,her thoughts turned to _him._ She rolled onto her side, her mind slowly drifting away with fantasies and memories of their encouters over the last year. A steady warmth began to spread and float around her body, starting with her heart.

* * *

Enternally black and forever vast. She couldn't see anything. She felt completely weightless. Nothing to anchor her to anything. She tried to force her eyes open , let any source of light in. Her heart skipped a beat when she realised they were already open. Any sudden jerk would send her spirialling in almost any direction possible.

"Calm down. Relax. You'll get a feel for it." A soft voice, struggling to hide laughter echoed towards her. That warmth from earlier smoothered her. She could trust this voice and did exactly what it said. Slowly but surely,without even realising, she was standing on the nothingness.

"Behind you." Cautiously she turned. He was right there, standing with his arms folded as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Small orbs of light floated away in the distance behind him. The end of his long white coat rose and fell in a non-existant air current. His usually thick soft hair was flatter, dirtier, plastered with dry sweat. It was apprant he needed to shave, a light rugged beard claimed his face. A small streak of red creapt up his chin. Dull grey eyes, heavy with exhaustion and stress. Bags hid under his eyes. Skin paler than before. He stood confidently, stronger than ever before. He adorned his usual attire, black combat trousers, black trainers and a black t-shirt. Practical, not fashionable. With each passing second, the warmth in her grew.

"Will? What...what is this?" Her voice shaky, was this real? How she hoped it was. It felt like years since they spoke to each other. Will let his arms drop, one fell to his side, he ran his other hand through his hair before looking at his hand in disgust.

"This is known as "Link". Link is basically a void. Anyone connected with the same crest or an abrivation of the crest can talk here when they share a similar state of counsiousness. So, when we're both asleep, we can talk here if we both access Link. You have the crest of Love, I'm Protector. Protector is basically, another version of Love, so only we can access this place. Nice pyjamas by the way." Will looked away, a smirk spread across his face. Sora stared at him, a puzzled look adorned her face. She glanced down. Tiny pink shorts and a white tank top.

"Whatever we wear when we enter link, is what we are shown to be wearing to the others." Will burst out laughing, a slight red tinge began to grow on his cheeks. He had missed her auburn hair. Sora tried to cover herself, a pointless effort. She stood upright and cross her arms, her face a deep crimson as she looked away. Something soft covered her. She turned and looked to see Will placing his coat around her. As she pulled it closed, she noticed various cuts and bruises across his right arm. Her heart sank, he really was in danger. The two stood near each other in silence, staring into the darkness.

"Does it always look like this?" Sora asked,she tried to hide the worry in her voice. Will frowned, he could still hear it in her voice.

"No, it can look like anything you want it too. You're in charge here. By linking with me, you opened this area. You created this link, not me. Picture something, somewhere you'd like to be. When you have a firm image in mind, touch the floor and it will come into existance." Without warning, Sora reached down and the area exploded with light.

"I know this is new to you, but please warn me. I don't want to be blind." Will lowered his arm from his face. A cool breeze gently massaged his skin. Turning his head, Will watched as the water gently lapped at the sands edge.

"I like the beach." Sora said simply before walking forward and sitting down near the waters edge.

"I do too." Will followed her and sat next to her before lieing down. He felt his back click several times. Silence overtook them as they enjoyed each others company. Unexpected connections were always the best. They chose to enjoy the peace,rather than question it too much. Thankfully long moments passed by, there was no rush.

"Do you use link often?" Sora asked suddenly. Will's eyes followed a cloud as it slowly moved across the clear blue sky.

"Now and again. Since I went to the Shadow Kingdom, nearly every night." Sora turned and looked down at him,their eyes met for a split second.

"Who...do you talk too?" In her mind, he spoke to a tall seductive blond every night. Will turned and looked in another direction.

"Sometimes Alex Stone, the original gaurdian. Sometimes I talk to Amber." His voice was stern, no emotion.

"Who's Amber?" Sora's heart stopped as she said that name. It felt like she should know who it was. Someone important, someone that connected them.

"One of the original five Digidestined. Your crest and mine came from hers. Her life was something else. That team and Alex did things we wouldn't even dare attempt. Did you know they actually rewrote some of the Digicode in the Digital world? They literally changed the world." A small smile pulled at the edges of his lips.

"You speak about her like she's..." Sora couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Dead? She is. Died during the first great Digital war." That tiny smile faded from Will's lips.

"How can you talk to her then?" Sora asked quietly, she didn't want to push any nerves.

"If you know how to use Link, you can talk to Digidestined who have died. Previous chosen who have the same crest or another version of yours. Not many know it exist, even fewer know how to use it. I'm still learning how to do some of the things I've been told about." Will's eyes followed a new cloud now, as the water lapped at their feet.

"You said you've been using it a lot. Are you looking for...Mark? And David?" Her voice trailed off towards the end. Will said nothing and focused on the sky, all traces of emotional now robbed from his face.

* * *

I'm Alex Stone. The original Gaurdian. The Nightmare Gaurdian. I survived that place. I harnessed it's power. Patamon and I have faced off countless enemies time and time again. Every Gaurdian knows who I am and what I've done. I'm feared and respected by Digimon , human, Digidestined and Gaurdian alike. I survived the secret war of Gaurdians and Dark Digidestined. Yet here I am. One battle and I'm stuck in a makeshift ICU in what used to be Gennai's house now turned Gaurdian central. I'm hooked up to a dozen machines. I feel fine, I recover at a super speed. That's what being in the Nightmare world for too long does to you. It changes you. Makes you better. Gennai walks into the room, head held high as usual. He likes to order me about, sadly I comply every time. I owe it to him. He got me out of the Nightmare world.

"Any news from Trace?" Of course he'd ask about Trace and not me. Nevermind I'm in the makeshift ICU.

"He's met up with Will and Tai. They're still heading for the D-cores. They appear to have run into some trouble though. The grand general is there. As well as the Sovereign and his army. It's six against sixty thousand. Give or take one." I can feel myself tense up. I should be there on the front line with them. Not here. Gennai looks down to the floor. He's planning again. This can't be good for me.

"How are you feeling?" He asks me in a curious voice. He's not concerned with my health, he's curious about my combat ability. Good.

"Fine. Patamon has been up and about for several days." I answer him plainly. I need to get out of here.

"Meet me in the council room. We're going to make our move."

* * *

"When you've a decision...and you're unsure if it was the right one, what do you do?" Sora broke the silence with what had been bothering her. Will sat up and looked at her before tilting his head. He made humming and ahhing sounds, as if analysing her.

"Stop it! I'm asking you a serious question!" Sora gently pushed him, nearly sending him back down into the sand. Will looked ahead into the water. A shiver ran up his spine.

"Well,if you've already made the decision you roll with it. You see what happens and hope you made the right decision. If you haven't , let's just hope you can rectify it in time." Will turned and smiled. He checked his watch and stood.

"Sorry, but times up." He held out his hand. She graciously took it and stood up with him. Her skin was warm to the touch. His was cold and rough.

"What do you mean?" The colour and shape around them began to fall and fade away.

"It's time to wake up." Will smiled simply and waved.

"Will we be able to do this? Tomorrow night?" She asked in a panic, she could fell herself being pulled away.

"Well that's up to you. If you do remember all this, which is unlikely, you'll have to try and link with me again. If you can do it. Then we'll talk tomorrow night." Will carefully folded his arms.

"Why can't you link with me?" Sora rushed to hug him as he exploded into a billion tiny lights.

"I'm in the Digital world, it's impossible to connect from my side." His voice followed her as she felt everything collapse from under her.

* * *

"So, you're here in Will's place to try and keep an eye on the Digidestined here?" Lianne stared at Alex, the Digidestined of life.

"Pretty much." He answered simply.

"Just incase there are some attacks?" She asked again.

"Yup." He folded his arms. He noticed a small stain on the right sleeve of his white coat.

"But instead you were given the task of making sure I was okay and keeping me alive?"

"Correct."

"And you have the crest of life which means you have special powers?"

"Exactly." Alex began to try and clean his sleeve.

"So..." Lianne trailed off as she paced around the room. Alex looked up and stopped what he was doing.

"So what?" He asked. He'd learn to regret asking this question.

"So why aren't we out there right now looking for any threats? We could actually be doing something!" She raced up to Alex and pulled him by the front of his coat to the door of the room, ready to take action. She stopped suddenly and spun round, letting Alex turn on the spot. His eyes wide. Just what had he gotten himself into?

"What are you doing?" His voice shaky. She pulled several items out of a bag from near her bed in the hospital room.

"Changing." She asnwered simply as she began to peel off her top. As Alex's eyes caught the first glimsp of her lower back he turned and faced the door, his eyes went wide, his face turned bright red. His entire body was slammed into the door.

"Get out!" Lianne quickly pulled the door back and threw Alex through it. Alex spiralled to the floor before crashing agains't a nurses station desk. Shock spread across his face. Just what had happened? He realised very quickly this was going to be a long mission.

* * *

"Well, that's not at all terrifying." Will muttered quietly. It had already been an entire day since Will and Sora had spoken through Link. Currently, Will , Trace and Tai were perched at the edge of a cliff. They peered down into the valley floor below. A very large army camp had been set up there. Fires ,tents and supplies were scattered everywhere. Various levels of Digimon walked, patrolled and trained in the area.

"We need to get there." Trace pointed across the valley to the next cliff. "It's just a few days walk to where Alex and I found the D-cores from there." Tai shifted uncomfortably.

"Way I see it. We have several options. Go around." Tai stopped to hear the objections.

"Would take us about a month." Trace happily pointed out the flaws in each plan.

"We can go through them." Tai listed another option.

"Certain death." Trace obliged yet again. Tai said nothing.

"Or..." Will prompted him and prayed he had another plan.

"Or...we cut across on that heavily guarded bridge and we move as fast as we can across it and lose them on the other side." Tai grinned maddly. Will and Trace looked at each other quickly.

"I've heard worse plans..." Trace said quietely.

"I've been involved with worse plans...strangely there were plans thought up by you two." Will laughed slightly. A heavy silence fell on the three.

"Looks like we're going by bridge." Will said darkly. The group looked at the old American styled steel bridge. Rusted from lack of care. Wide enough for several lanes of traffic going either way. The three boys didn't say it, but they knew that the coming battle on that bridge could be their last.

* * *

Sat behind a large desk, covered with hundreds of papers, a laptop and half empty mug of coffe , sat a man in a very fine suit. He held his hands together as someone approached him.

"I apologise for interupting sir, but the situation is becomming worse. Something must be done." The younger man stood with his arms behind his back as he waited for a reply. He was dressed in a blue army uniform. The older man behind the desk, sat forward and raised his hands to his chin. Seconds past by like hours. The tiniest amount of light crept in through a boarded window.

"How bad are the attacks expected to be?" The older man looked up to the the man standing at his desk.

"Level six, sir." The older man shut his eyes and exhaled heavily. No more was said for a while. The young army offical waited paitently, his arms at his side. The older man picked up a file which was marked,

Subject : Winters, David.

Partner : Ravemon

Posistion : Guardian/Rouge

Status : Unknown

He glanced at the paper file one last time and handed it to the young army official.

"We have no choice. Commence operation , Digital extraction."

As the younge army offical left, the older man turned in his chair, his eyes seeking any distraction possibly. He prayed this was the right option. He truly wished it never came to this.


	16. King Of The Bridge

Hello one and all. I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for a long time. It's been a while since I did a chapter centring around Will, Trace and Tai, at least with events and not just conversation. I have to say I am really enjoying writing this series and discovering the talent of other people on this site. I thought when I returned with this account that this area of the site may have died with the recent years but I was wrong, it got bigger and I'm glad to be apart of it again. As it is christmas eve I decided it would be best to update tonight. Merry christmas to all my readers new and old alike, hope it's a good one for you. Hope you read,enjoy and review.

* * *

Digimon patrolled back and forth. Eyes peering around, hoping to find something. Anything to break the monotone feel of their routine operation. Gaurd the bridge. As if anyone was going to try to break through this bridge. It would never happen. Right? Wrong. The various Digimon quickly scrambled together to put up their steel wall defenses. Every hundred feet or so a solid steel wall was raised to prevent the intruder crossing. Speeding towards them was a very large, very dangerous white wolf with a DIgidestined on his back.

"Red shot!" A large crimson red ball of scorching energy shot from the wolfs mouth. The miniture red sun roared across the bridge, tearing through the steel walls before colliding with a wall half way down the rusted old bridge. The miniture red sun erupted in a storm of red fire and a dark black cloud of melted metal and dust. Several Digimon began to pick themselves up, carefully watching the huge black rolling cloud of dust. Nothing. Had the intruder perished in the exlposion like many of their comrads? Silence.

"YEHAW!" The wolf ripped through the huge cloud of the dust, tearing past anything in his way. The Digidestined on his back held on for dear life , one arm in the air.

"Now this is why I love being a gaurdian!" The Digidestined laughed madly through the chaos as the wolf charged past every single Digimon in his way. So close now. Just a few more hurdles and they would have cleared the bridge. They were so close. An unstoppable force tearing through the defences. Just a few stray guards left to get through and that was it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Something collided with them. They weren't tearing across the bridge anymore. They shot through the air from a single strike. Slamming into a crumbling brick pillar half way back the way they came. The large white wolf bounced back onto the bridge with a sickening crunch before rebounding onto his feet. The Digidestined was a little bit luckier, the wolf had taken the full blow of the brick pillar so the Digidestined was unharmed. However, the speed they were going threw him off , as he shot into the metal floor of the bridge. He took the full force on one shoulder before his body skidded across the metal, finally stopping a short distance away from the wolf. Pain tore through his left side of his body as he felt himself losing counciousness.

Strikemon growling angrily pulled him back to counciousness. The plan had been simple. Stupidly simple. Trace and Black Wargreymon would ferry across their supplies to the other side. Will would act as decoy with Strikemon and go right across the bridge. Tai would fly in the from the side of the bridge with Wargreymon and they'd blow the supports and sink the bridge. Simple? Wrong. Will pulled himself up before collapsing onto one knee. His right hand instantly went to this left shoulder. His entire left side burned with pain. He could feel a throbbing in head as something cool dripped down his face.

"Great. Bleeding and injured. Gennai's going to kill me when he finds out I ruined this coat." Will forced a slight smile. What had just happened? His eyes focussed on the cause of his pain. Standing where the pair had been laucnhed into the air, a tall knight. Black armour tinted with dark green. Malicious green visor covered a small part of his helmet. Vicious red roses adorned his head. A wreath of war. A pale white sash draped around his waist , nearly touching the floor, adorned with digital symbols. Two huge metallic green, tinted gold wings spread across his back and stretched wide , curving in towards his targets. In his right hand , a long slender gold and tinted green blade. Digital symbols ran the full length of the blade.

"Who are you?" Will shouted across the bridge. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the camp below mobilising. He swore under his breath. Tai and Wargreymon were going to blow the bridge in a couple of minutes and Trace and Black Wargreymon were already at the meeting point.

"I am the Sixth Sovereigns champion. The strongest warrior of the Nightmare world. Destroyer of the first great Digital City. Soon to be the Emperors champion." The Digimon brought the sword to this visor before swinging it to the side in a swiping movement. Sharp violent wind sweapt across the bridge,clearing it of Digimon and debris alike.

"Strikemon, be careful." In a flash of golden light, the wolf quickly changed into a tall pale blue knight.

"Warrior Strikemon." He annouced himself in a deep low voice. Will attempted to stand next to his partner, but failed to so much as push himself off his knee. He could barely move. His eyes turned to the camp below. They were moving quickly.

"They shall not interfere. This is my fight." The Emperors champion's voiced carried to them. He knew what Will had been thinking. Will smiled slightly.

"Finally, an evil Digimon with honour. You're becomming harder and harder to find." His voice was becomming shaky. The pain was starting to get too much. He had to last. As soon as Tai got there, either he'd help or the bridge would be blown. In any case they needed to get to the other side and quick. They rushed at each other. Both raising swords ready to strike the other down.

Swords clashed as super human speed. Tricks and pivots used to catch the other off guard. The two knights stood facing each other. Locked together, the swords pushed agains't each other. Warrior Strikemon laughed quickly.

"Lightning ride!" His entire being began to crackle with lightning. Both he and the champion and the entire section of the bridge crackled and erupted with lightning. The champion did not move, grunting under the strain of the attack. Quickly , the pair broke apart. With a single movement of his sword, the champion launched thousands of swords at Warrior Strikemon. The pale blue knight blocked every single one of them. His eyes scanned for the champion, no where to be found.

"Behind you. Majestic clense!" Dark green flame erupted in a colomn around the two. Green ambers fell in the black sky. Warrior Strikemon leapt out of the raging fire, his cape and armour scorched beyond recognition. A kick sent him flying into the air. The champion appeared above him , ready to strike him again. Warrior Strikemon threw a single fist, charged with electrical power into the attack. The two rocketed in opposite directions.

"Lion barrage!" Warrior Strikemon threw the lightning forward towards the champion as he pulled himself in a straight dive after his opponent. The lightning bounced and danced across the distance, slowly shaping itself a pack of wolves. The champion fired off as many balls of green fire as possible to no avail. The wolves caught him and their teeth tore into him.

"Detonate." Warrior Strikemon spoke clearly, as the wolves howled before detonating. Explosions spread across the sky. The champion shot forward from the cloud of dust and sparks, completely unharmed. Warrior Strikemon had planned ahead, he was waiting, arms outstretched.

"Lightning needle!" Thousands of small spears of solid lightning, as thin as a needle gathered around him. With one motion they shot towards the champion. The champion evaded them with grace and style , a few bouncing off his armour. Warrior Strikemon moved to draw his sword too late. The champion ran his sword through Warrior Strikemon and ran him into the cliff face, near the otherside of the bridge.

"Not bad." Warrior Strikemon had moved just enough for the sword to pierce his arm. He pulled his head back before slamming it into the champions. He reached out with his free hand and pulled on the feathers in the left wing. Smooth and cold to the touch. He ripped them apart. The champion growled in pain before jumping back.

"Dark reaper." Both of his arms began to erupt into dark green flame.

"Great tornado!" A tornado of dark orange ripped through the sky straight into the champion. Wargreymon's legendary attack. As he flew through the air, spinning at the highest possible speed creating a funnel of air around him becomming nothing more than a blur. That blur drove the champion through the air into the ground.

Warrior Strikemon began to try to pull the sword loose only for Black Wargreymon to appear next to him. He carefully pulled the sword away and held Warrior Strikemon.

"I got you." Black Wargreymon flew the pale blue knight to the otherside of the ridge and dropped him near the entrance to a forest.

Will had been pulling himself towards the otherside of the bridge as soon as the battle had become airborn. Every centremetre of movement sent pain soaring through him. It would be a miracle if he hadn't damanged any bones. He could still move everything. Barely. His vision was beginning to blur. He couldn't see through one eye, blood had covered it. He had been crawling, almost pulling himself with his good arm. Collasping onto his front , he exhaled heavily.

"This really sucks." His voice was shallow and empty. Someone picked him up and began to pull him across the bridges surface. Will tilted his head to see Tai.

"I am never trusting your plan ever again." Will laughed slightly. Tai rolled his eyes as he dragged his friend to the other side.

"My plans are good! There are just...unplanned elements in them. That's all." Tai grinned a little.

"The last time a plan of yours worked out this badly was on the road trip. In that bar. You said a girl had been looking at me all night, it was a man!" Tai laughed hard as he remembered the event.

"Hey, each to their own man." Tai laughed even harder.

"Wait till you get involved with my plan." Will said quietly, his voice trailing off at the end. Will felt himself being dropped on damp grass before he saw Trace stand over him.

"Take him to the meeting spot, me and Wargreymon will finish up here." Tai's voice wasn't light hearted anymore. Trace nodded and began to drag Will away. As Black Wargreymon roared past them, Will felt everything fade away. He was beginning to hate passing out.

"Terra destroyer!" A huge swirling mass of dark red pulsating energy erupted under the bridge. The second he had dropped off the now exhausted Lightmon, he returned to the battle as soon as possible. He watched as the supports gave way. The bridge began to sink away in the valley below. Even some of the rock walls it had been attached to began to fall. Black Wargreymon felt impressed with himself as he watched the chaos destroy part of the force below in the camp. He looked across to see Wargreymon and the champion locked in combat, dodging any debris that came their way.

Wargreymon threw an attack every other second. His dramon killers leaving the faintest scratches on the champions armour. The champion launched his own attacks just as fast. The two had been trading blows the entire time. Wargreymon saw his chance and tackled the champion into the ground below. The sound of metal buckling echoed in the ruined valley. The champion stood up as Wargreymon came at him again,only to be kicked away. Wargreymon crashed into a pile of rock and rubble before instantly getting up.

"Takes more than that to stop e you winged freak!" Wargreymon only had to stall him,nothing more. The champion rushed forward ,only to be sent crashing into another stone wall.

"We're done. Let's go." Black Wargreymon landed next to his counter part. The two nodded and shot into the air.

"Terra force!" Wargreymon fired off a large orange ball of pulsating flame.

"Terra Destroyer!" Black Wargreymon fired off the same attack as before. The two masses of energy collided together , erupting into a storm of red and orange destroying anyone that may come after that. The explosion sroched the earth so much,nothing would ever grow there again. Black smoke rose from the earth, the stench of burning wafted in every direction.

The champion pulled himself from the rubble that had crushed him. He scanned the area, his opponents long gone. Flexing his wings, every feather had returned to him. He folded his arms as he felt someone approach him. He dropped to the floor on one knee, a sign of respect.

"So they are here." The Sixth sovereign stood near his champion. A black cloak hiding his armoured body, the hood pulled up so none of his features could be seen.

"Yes, my liege. I injured the bearer of protection. The rouge has joined with them. The boy of courage is also here." The champion spoke slowly, fear almost creeping into his voice.

"You may do as you wish whilst you are here. Track them, kill them, leave them. It is your decision. Just be ready when the time comes." The Sovereign turned to walk away.

"I shall go after them,sir. It is obvious what they are after. I can beat them to where they are going and I shall strike them down." Sheer determination filled the champion. He would not lose.

"Very well. Just be at the Digital gate when the day comes. You are aware of what to do should I perish. Correct?" The Sovereign turned slowly, his eyes peering into the champion.

"Yes. I shall assume command and take over." The champion relished in the idea. He could become the seventh sovereign. A digital diety.

"Good." The Sovereign turned and left. The champion stood and turned in the direction his foes had fled. He would hunt them as long as it took. He would catch them and challenge them. He would show them the full extent of his power. He would avenge his fallen comrades and his honor. With a single movement, he took off into the sky, his wings carrying him through the sky.


	17. Things in motion

Hey, another chapter is here. I'm trying to update as much as possible before I have to return to studying for an exam in january. There should be another two updates before that. I hope you all read, enjoy and review.

* * *

People made their way slowly, in the lazy afternoon sun. Early afternoon on a sunday and there was never much to do. Most chose to stay inside or just relax somewhere in the city. One person inperticular needed to escape the stuffy apartment he had been stuck in all morning. Syao walked slowly down the pavement, waiting for somewhere to catch his attention. He had time to kill since his meeting with the Gaurdians wasn't till much later. He kept his hands in his pocket, he could feel his Digivice in his right pocket, cool to touch. Yawning lightly, he stretched. The Battle yesterday had drained not just him but his Digimon, who was currently asleep back at the apartment.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a small restaurant with outdoor seating. He carefully crossed the road befofe taking a seat at a white steal floral table. He sat and watched as people passed by him. Some were businessmen in suits, others were just teenagers. He ordered a simple cup of coffee, he didn't need anything but he assumed that he'd be asked to leave if he didn't order. Lazily, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. It was a small map of Odaiba, several locations on it had been crossed out. Two had been circled. Rubbing his temples he stared at the locations.

"Most likely place for an assault.." He hadn't even realised he had said anything. Quickly he looked around to see if anyone had heard. Carefully, he studied the map. He had marked the strongest points of Digital crossings and made sure he had checked the locations. His mind shot him one question : How was it possible for a Digital gate to open? He knew Black Wargreymon had sealed the gates and Tai had made it to the Digital world afterwards, but it should still be shut. Lowering his head, he attempted to remember as many of the details as he could of the Nightmare world he had from Will. He knew that the Nightmare world being unsealed may have affected the gates, they may even have opened every single one of them completely. He scowled at his own map and sat back in his chair. This was meant to be relaxing. His eyes came across the people across the street. One man in a suit. Sun glasses. Syao cocked an eyebrow, that was too cliche to be true. His eyes darted to the next person. Blue hooded jacket with the hood pulled up. Dark grey jeans. Sat on a bench, arms outstretched. Syao blinked. Was this man watching him? Syao blinked and the man was gone. He robbed his temples quickly. Must be the stress making him paranoid. He decided it would be best if he just relaxed.

Time passed slowly. There were no worries, just peace anf quiet. Something he didn't get very often. His eyes had been scanning the people passing him by for a while. He had been making stories for them. Some were good, some were bady, others involved giant purple dionsaurs. Which didn't sound so strange, considering he was a Digidestined. Boredom began to creep into his mind. His eyes were now focussed on the time on his watch. He didn't really register the small dials turning around. His eyes caught something else. A girl wearing a modest brown skirt and a pink polo shirt. Soft brown hair and even softer , deeper brown eyes. Kari Kamiya. Digidestined of Light, Tai Kamiya's little sister. He really didn't want to be hallucinating right now because a reality with her was better than any dream world. His heart flopped and fell. Sure he could face down an ancient fire Digimon, but talking to a girl he liked? Well that's a different story for every guy isn't it? On impulse, he pushed himself from his seat and jogged over to her before matching her stride. He prayed he didn't get hit by a car, or god forbid, fall over.

"Hey, Kari!" He said as he walked next her. A look of shock covered her face. Had he been too enthusiastic? Had he blown it already? His heart sank. Recover. His brain urged him to recover.

"Remember me?" He flashed her a smile. He prayed it wasn't creepy. His heart beat rapidly , almost shouting to him,

"You fool!" Kari returned his smile. Her whole face lit up. Syao almost became completely lost in that moment.

"Of course I do! I just didn't expect to see you, that's all. Sorry." Her voice was sweet, he instantly felt relaxed. She was apologising to him? He couldn't imagine a time she'd ever need to say sorry to him. They remained silent for several long seconds. Syao's mind quickly moved into gear to make conversation.

"So what you doing out and about today?" Syao mentally kicked himself for seeming so awkward. The two started to walk at a slow pace. The way she moved, elegantly yet so casual , mesmorised him.

"Just out. We're just back from a little favour Gennai asked of us. Everyone else has gone home. I wanted to enjoy some fresh air." Syao flinched. Gennai. Apart form Will and Trace, only he really knew how dark Gennai could be. He instantly hoped he wasn't getting Davis's team stuck in something bad.

"You were on a mission? Thought the Digital world wasn't safe to travel right now?" Syao turned his head, their eyes instantly locked before they turned away.

"Well...yeah." She stuttered, did he have to have really nice eyes? "Gennai asked us to do patrol for a village though. Nothing dangerous. A few small attacks but it was nothing major. Only area that is really off limits are the Shadow Kingdom and West sector." Her eyes instantly darkened. Her brother was in the Shadow kingdom. Syao noticed it almost instantly.

"He'll be fine. He's with Will. Those together will either destroy the entire place or set each other on fire." Syao flashed her a reassuring smile as Kari burst out laughing.

"Yeah, you're right!" The two enjoyed a comfortable silence as they walked slowly down the city streets of Odaiba taking turns without really needing a direction.

"You know, I never really paid you back for helping me. When I was taken by the Dark Ocean." Kari flashed another smile to him. Syao could only smile in return.

"No need. I was only helping out another Digidestined. Still it meant I got to know you better which is really good." He laughed nervously. Crap, had he said too much?

"Well it was nice meeting you too. Why don't we stop for some lunch? There's a nice restaurant near by." She smiled at him again. Syao blinked tiwce before he could answer.

"Sure. That sounds good." He checked his watch quickly. They could manage without him at the meeting right?

* * *

"Is he coming or what?" Willis tapped his foot impatiently. Cole looked around, seemingly very bored. He was stood agains't a broken wall , with his arms folded. Willis stood with his arms behind his back as he looked at the others who had joined him for the small meeting. Momaru and Matt.

"I doubt it. Probably lost track of time." Momaru said quickly before turning her head to Matt.

"Sora can't make it, she has to work today." Matt said very casualy before folding his arms. Pride swelled in him. He was hers now and she was his.

"Elegon said he had something to take care of." Momaru rolled her eyes.

"Fine." Willis said in an aggitated tone "We'll just start without them." They had gathered inside a small library. They were near the back, where no one went. They each took one side of a table.

"We'll be discussing who will be gaurding and patrolling which sector and what the duties shall entail. First we'll look at-" He was cut off before he could finish.

"Just who put you in charge?" Matt cut in as he pushed some blond hair away from his eyes. His temper was thin right now.

"I have the most authority here. I'm a Gaurdian Captain appointed by Will and Gennai. Therefor, Cole and I are in charge. Cole could be in a coma right now so I'm taking the lead." Willis could feel Cole staring at him, boring a hole right through him.

"So? I was a Digidestined before you. I understand that you have a title with the Gaurdians but I don't care if you're a captain or not. You don't just take charge. You discuss this with as an equal. How Davis put up with you I'll never know." Matt and Willis stared at each other.

"Well Momaru seems to have no problem with me taking charge here." Willis pointed at Momaru as she cocked an eyebrow.

"Actually I think you're quite annoying. I agree with Matt. You may be a captain but Matt has more exprience than both of us and I'm actually on Will's team." She placed extra emphasis on the end of the sentence. Willis could feel he was losing the fight so he sat back in a chair and folded his arms. He could hear Cole laughing behind him.

"Well, what do you two suggest then?" Willis indicated to the map they had laid out before them. Matt instantly was the first to speak.

"We call on our allies in the Digital world to patrol there. We can then focus on the city." Matt stared straight into Willis's eyes.

"Well, what do you suggest we do should there be an attack here? There are only a handful of people who can fight and most of them are gathered in this room." Willis smiled darkly. He would find a flaw whatever it took.

"You obviously haven't done any research. Davis and his team live here. Ken also lives in Shijinku. We have most of this city covered. Their team can also bring three mega level Digimon into a fight, one of them being Imperialdramon. Also, Izzy has systems in place to alert us to an attack before it happens. We're quite well prepared on a daily basis." Matt smiled smugly. Cole's laughter grew louder as Willis scowled. Momaru simply watched on,enjoying every second the captain was humilated.

* * *

"So level with me. What does your team think of Will?" Syao leaned across their table playfully. They had chosen to eat at a McDonalds,as they couldn't find the nice restaurant Kari knew. She laughed.

"Well, Davis really doesn't like him. Think he's jealous of how much he's done. Then again, Trace really freaks him out." Kari laughed as Syao made a strange expression.

"The fearless Davis, scared by an ex-messenger?" Kari burst out with laughter as Syao stole more of her food.

"What about the others?" Syao asked curiously. kari calmed down a little bitbefore continuing.

"Well Ken trusts him, they both know someone called Ryo. Yolei likes him but she is boy crazy. T.K Trusts him because Matt does. Cody...is worried he'll turn on us. Said the past repeats itself, Will will just turn on us and take what he can. I don't know what he knows about Will but it doesn't seem to be very good." Kari took another sip of her drink before looking at Syao.

"Alright then, what's he like as a leader? You're in his team aren't you?" Syao stiffened under the question.

"Well, I am on his team. If you can call it that. We've done a few routine missions with Trace. That was a few months back though. We ran into a few issues. Could call it our own adventure. He's strange. He can be cool and relaxed one moment, next he can be really determined and fired up. I think he's bi-polar. He vanishes now and again. I think he's too used to being a loner. Kind of like a hermit. " Kari and Syao both laughed at the statement.

"Well what do you think of him?" Syao asked quickly. Kari stopped and looked at him, almost distracted.

"I've never really spoken to him. I know he helped you get me from the Dark Ocean. I know him and my brother are close, but that's about it. He doesn't seem to want to talk to our group , apart from Yolei." Kari propped her head up on her hand. Syao watched how the hair fell across her face perfectly. He was completely lost till his brain kicked into gear.

"Well, he's the Gaurdian of Love. So he has to watch over Sora right? Yolei is also a Digidestined of Love so I think he has to watch over them both by duty. Maybe he just wants to deal with the people he has to? Try not to make too many connections here so he can leave when he wants." Syao knew the methods Will used, they were the same ones he used. Except this time, both Will and Syao had found people they couldn't let go.

* * *

Sora collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She hated working working in her mums flower shop and enjoyed the comfort of her bed. Her mind drifted to the last time she was this tired. Will had been staying with her, whilst he was hunting David. They had developed a sort of routine, Will would sleep on the sofa and she would go and sleep on him. As her mind drifted, she felt a familiar feeling of falling before she remember. Link.

Last time she had been there, she felt warm, comfortable. Now it was cold and empty.

"Hey." She heard a weak voice behind her. As she turned she saw him, lieing against an invisable wall. His left thigh heavily bandaged. Left shoulder bandagered lightly. Cuts and brusies on his cheek. She immediately ran over to him and held onto him.

"What happened to you? Are you okay?" She held gently, her heart racing.

"I'll be fine. Just some injuries." His voice was hoarse and weak.

"I'm pretty sure I'm here because I'm unconcious in the Shadow Kingdom." He tried laughing but only ended up coughing and spluttering. He made a mental joke not to laugh. Time passed. They eventually fell into a comfortable posistion, Will resting his head on her lap. He looked up at her, theirs eyes met.

"Sora...the sovereign's coming, and he's bringing war. Nothing but war." Fear took over his expression.


	18. Omens

Hello one and all. I felt that as this would be the first chapter of the new year that it should be a special super chapter. I plan to update at least once a week,every week. I'm going to hold a small competition soon as well. I'll give you the details when I have it all figured out. I also feel that it's fair to let you know about upcoming projects. I'm working Etiger on several stories, all Digimon. All of which take place in and around our current stories. I have one important question for all though.

Should there be another sequal and why?

I hope you all read,enjoy and review.

Happy new year everyone, hope it's a good one. I hope you all join me in bringing more stories and more joy to this site and the readers over the year.

* * *

"Just what are you doing?" Alex Dowski watched as Lianne tore through the apartment, snatching any she considered of use. In the small living room sat two large sports bags. The second they had arrived at Will's old apartment she had begun to pile things in.

"Packing. What do you think?" She answered quickly as she tore back into the room and placed several bottles of water on the table. Alex noticed she seemed much more active than Will had ever described her. Alex put it down to the fact she knew her body was going to give out soon if Will didn't come back with a D-core. He looked down, defeated. His Digivice was doing everything it could but it couldn't keep up. His thoughts trailed off. He was forbidden from using the core of the Digital world for personal use but maybe if he could reroute some power from it into the mainframe of his...

"Are you going to help or what?" Lianne was standing right infront of him. Her voice snapped him from his thoughts before she thrust a bag into his arms.

"Just what are you packing for?" Alex asked quickly. She turned and smiled.

"We're going to the digital world." She answered simply before running off to another room. Alex stood there dumbfounded. Did she intend to go after Will and Tai? He knew they had linked up with Trace, but as he knew she had never met him. His mind quickly raced through any possiblities. She came back quickly carrying a couple of knives. Did she intend to kill him? Alex instantly tensed up.

"Why are we going to the Digital world?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. She quickly zipped up a bag before slinging it above her shoulder.

"Simple. We're going to free the sovereigns." She flashed him a smile as if to say it was the easiest thing in the world. Alex was speechless but he didn't have time to find any words for himself as Lianne began to drag him out of the apartment. As She pushed him out the front door she stopped for a moment. She turned back looked at the picture anyone could see as they walked in the front door. A picture of the team. Will, David, Mark, herself, Katie and Sam. Her heart lurched when she saw the picture. Katie and Sam had been programs, like Gennai. They were designed to be their guides, they even had Digivices and Digimon. They weren't aware they were human. It made no difference, they were still friends, comards. Her eyes traced over the picture and its details. Her and Will were the only members left now. She had a horrible sinking feeling that Will would be the only left soon enough. She closed and locked the door as they headed for the nearest Digiport.

* * *

Resting his head against the base of a tree, Will sat and watched the camp fire. It had been days since the assault on the bridge. His left arm was heavily bandaged, useable, but not much. Glancing down at his left leg, the bandages were gone but there was still bruising. He could walk, not run. His shoulder still gave him some trouble. He watched as small embers floated away into the midnight black sky. He tried to make out any constellations in the stars as he tilted his head up. None. He sighed angrily. He had been forced to sit down and ride Strikemon everywhere. He couldn't do anything. It made him restless to the point he couldn't sleep,which was why he was now doing night watch shifts back to back.

Lightmon had Digivolved to Strikemon and had refused to change form since. Will put it down to paranoia of an attack. It wasn't like it was difficult for Lightmon to maintain the champion level ,he just preferred being a rookie. Will traced every tribal marking on his partners fur. It was almost strange to see the large war torn wolf sleeping peacefully.

Carefully pulling out his Digivice, Will began to press buttons and operated the options his Digivice carried. Storage for the sealing data. Maps. Tracking. E-mail. Synchronisation options. Clock. He rarely ever looked at his Digivice, preferring for it to rest on his belt or in his pocket. He had once owned one of the original Digivices,however it had been damaged beyond use during a battle with David. Shortly after agreeing to help Gennai, he was given this model. It was the same size as a small touchscreen phone. The top half of the device was the screen and below was a circular control button. The buttons were white and the rest of the device was a sleek black with some blue and red incorporated. He wondered if he'd recieve a new Digivice when he was finished with the data that he'd be using to seal with sovereign. Will quickly moved to the map option. A blank grey area. Will frowned. Anywhere else in the Digital world and it would have been a detailed map showing contours, buildings, directions,distance and other things. Right now, the screen only showed three green dots. One for each Digivice present. He quickly looked at Trace, he had never seen the Digivice Trace used. Will cocked an eyebrow, could he sneak over and steal a look? He glanced down at his bandaged form, not likely.

"Have you made a decision?" Trace's voice snapped him from his jumbled thoughts as he was caught off gaurd.

"A decision about what?" Will asked quietly as he looked at Tai,hoping he didn't wake the young man.

"Sora. What you're going to do?" Trace spoke carefully,making sure not to phrase the question wrong. Will's heart froze. Trace hadn't moved, he was still in a sleeping bag near the fire, looking straight at Will. Both young men looked at Tai,making sure he was asleep.

"I don't know." Will said honestly, his voice flat as he stared into the night sky. The stars reminded him of her. Bright and noticeable. Couldn't miss them, no matter where you were.

"You should do something soon." Trace said bluntly. Will frowned.

"What do you mean?" Will asked quietly, could Sora be planning something?

"Well, she's back in Odaiba. She may meet someone. You could lose your chance you know. It's obvious you like her,man. You talked about her a lot , even when you were in America with my group." Trace smirked. Will would have thrown something if he had anything in reach.

"America was good. Both when I helped your group and what happened after." Will's mind drifted away, lost in the memories.

"Hey, remember when we ran into Alex in the UK?" Will asked, a smile boardering on his lips.

"Which Alex?" Trace asked with a curious look. Will's smile grew.

"Dowski." The two immediately burst into laughter. The three had somehow ended up chasing a rouge dragon Digimon into a food factory,needless to say, it was distaterous. The two said nothing for a while once the laughter died down. They were both waiting for Will's answer, even if he didn't know how to answer.

"There's a good chance, we'll be killed. Isn't there?" Trace asked quietly. Will looked at him.

"Always is. Especially us. You're an ex-messenger and team leader. I'm a gaurdian, the sovereigns even send me out to every other country on missions to help other teams. I imagine they do that with you too." Will had to laugh a little, it sounded stupid. He was eightteen and an all purpose solider. He knew exactly what Trace was getting at. He had his decision.

"I'll tell her if we...when we go back. I'll let her know how I feel. After that...whatever happens, happens. Hell, if something does happen I'll quit being a gaurdian. I'll go back to being a normal Digidestined!" Will's heart raced. Was he seriously considering doing this? He had to be crazy. Something inside him was laughing, he had faced down hundreds if not thousands of Digimon, he had survived the Nightmare World, he was exploring the Shadow Kingdom, he had taken direct hits from mega level Digimon, yet the idea of telling Sora how he felt completely and utterly terrified him.

The group staying there in a sort of harmony. Will's eyes trained on the sky, wondering how he was going to tell Sora. Trace watched embers float away, reliving all the adventures he'd had recently. Tai snored softly in the background. A whistling sound grew louder and louder. Silence. Earth rained down everywhere. Parts of trees fell without question. Smoke rushed into the air. The ground rumbled from the blast. Everyone rushed to their feet. Strikemon had already leapt to a fallen tree to get a better view of what was happening. Trace and Will quickly gathered what they could, as Tai readied his Digivice as he emerged from the sleeping bag.

"Well, that's the worst alarm clock ever! It's still dark out!" Will grinned a little at Tai. Another blast put an end to any joking as more earth fell on them. Will winched in his pain, his left arm wasn't ready for this type of speed. There, above them. The Emperors champion loomed.

"Ah Crap." Tai cursed. Will looked around. Bad area to fight. No room to manerveur. No where to really use as an vantage point. Will turned to Trace and Tai.

"Run?" Tai's nodded. Will never gave Tai enough credit, he was very smart when it counted. Trace's face fell, he wanted to stay and fight but ran with the others anyway. They had planned this situation for a while, they would split in different directions and meet up later. Simple.

Time passed. They had split up in different directions. Will and Strikemon moved slowly through the thick layer of trees, avoiding an open area. Light filtered in through the small gaps in the leaves. It had been hours. No message or signs of battle anywhere. Not even any sign of disturbance. Something was wrong, both of them could feel it. They didn't need to say a word. They both desperatly wanted to turn around and look for the others. Something crashed behind them. They froze. Bark shot past them like wooden shrapnel.

"Move!" Strikemon lerched forward and took off running as explosions went off over and over behind them. Will smiled. At least the champion didn't get the others. Strikemon raced and moved swiftly through the trees. Another blast to their right. Strikemon veered to the left a little more before edging back in right. More shots were fired off , quicker than before. Strikemon growled angrily before shooting out of the safety of the trees into a big open green field. Will looked up. It was completely open. Right across the vast field was some old stone structure. They'd have to make it there. Beeping. Will pulled out of his Digivice. Grinning madly, he saw Trace's marker. He was already ahead of them.

"We need to get to those ruins. We'll be better off there!" Strikemon said nothing but moved faster. A violent wind engulfed them. Turning Will's heart stopped. There, the champion was closing in on them. Very quickly. He was just inches from them. Everything began to move slowly. There was no room to evade. No room for Strikemon to Digivolve. There was nothing they could do. This was it. Nothing they could do. It was the end.

Orange. Just an orange blur and the sound of metal grinding and something grunting, as if the wind had been knocked out of them. Strikemon and Will raced past a single figure standing in the open field. Will shifted himself to look back. Crazy brown hair. Tai.

"You get yourself to safety with Trace." He gave Will a simple thumbs up. "He's ours."

The two Digimon shot into the air, a large distance between them.

"I remember you. You got lucky, catching me off gaurd." The champion shifted slightly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Wargreymon didn't move, leaving his arms at his side.

"You should annouce yourself. This won't last long." Wargreymon's voice rumbled deeply.

"It makes no difference who I fight first. I will challenge all of you. I am Omega Strikemon." The champion pushed his chest out as he swelled with pride. Wargreymon grunted.

"You won't get anywhere near them!" In a blur, the sky was filled with flashes of green and orange as the Digimon colidded. Omega Strikemon attempted to draw his sword but Wargreymon closed in quickly, stopping him. Wargreymon launched a series of strikes aimed for the torso ,chest and head, only for Omega Strikemon to dodge them. Pushing away one attack, Omega Strikemon twisted and slammed his elbow into Wargreymons midsection. Winded, Wargreymon couldn't react in time. Omega Strikemon pulled his sword free as it emitted a low green light as it cut across Wargreymons midsection. Wargreymon was propelled back a short distance before reacting and rocketing back in. Omega Strikemon shifted in his posistion, raising his sword ready to catch the armoured human-dinosaur Digimon. Wargreymon twisted himself at the last possible moment, dragging his deadly sharp dramon killer gauntlet through a single wing. Wargreymon instantly turned and made another pass. Omega Strikemon ducked down and fell through the air before awkwardly rocketing back up attempting to catch his opponent. Wargreymon narrowly avoiding him, Omega Strikemon's sword tore along one half of the sheild on Wargreymon's back, leaving a long narrow line. Omega Strikemon turned again, his sword emitting a deadly green light, long trails of green vapour flooded off of it.

"Omega blast!" With a single flick of his sword, a huge curved pillar of dark green fire rushed at Wargreymon. The two golden halves of his shield ejected from his back and formed, the crest of Courage proudly sat on the front. A sickening crunch of metal echoed in the sky as the curved pillar of fire collided with the golden shield. Wargreymon rocketed to the floor, a pilliar of green fire erupted into the sky, a black ring around it. Tai watched on worriedly as he angrily clenched his fists, hoping his partner was okay. Dark fumes rose into the air. Omega Strikemon seethed his sword and turned to leave. Omega Strikemon froze, Wargreymon erupted from the fumes, his armour cracked, broken. His gauntlets completely ripped off from the impact. In one of his hands was a small swirling orange mass of firey energy, a smaller version of a terra force. Without warning, Wargreymon thrust the small mass into Omega Strikemons chest. Omega Strikemon was propelled back, his chest emitting dark orange flames and smoke. He managed to right himself barely before crashing into the floor. Wargreymon crashed into him and the pair collided with the ground,tearing away a trail in the ground.

"Don't even think about leaving! This isn't over yet!" Wargreymon growled before headbutting his opponent.

"You think he's okay?" Will asked as he worried. The sounds of the battle reached all the way to them.

"I'm sure he's fine. Wargreymon is powerful." Trace watched as Black Agumon and Lightmon slept lightly near the entrance of a cave. Trace was now covered in a light layer of mud and leaves.

"Just what is that place?" Will asked,indicating the entrance to a cave. It was more of an entrance to a greek temple. A carved out entrace with stone white pillars. A Large stone slab sat on top of the piallars, coated with ancient Digital code. Will scanned them over and over.

"No idea. I never came across this last time I passed the area." A chill ran down Trace's spine. Something was wrong with this place. Will frowned, he didn't recognise the code.

"It must be ancient. I can't read any of the code. Not even a single character." Will said sadly. He hated admitting defeat. Footsteps slowly made their way towards them. The small group quickly leapt to their feet.

"I mean you no harm, chosen of the Sovereigns." The group tensed as an old,gentle voice reached their ears. It was peaceful, almost relaxing. There was something familiar about the voice. A figure cloaked in purple robes emerged, the hood was very low,covering it's entire face in shadow. It walked slowly, holding a golden staff with a sun on the top.

"I am Delmon. The original advisor to the sovereigns. It is your fate to meet me." He stopped a distance away, showing he meant the group no harm.

"Fate?" Will said, almost laughing at the word.

"Yes. I have already spoken with the chosen child of courage. I can see into the leylines of the Digital world. I already know what has passed and is to come. Come, we need to talk." Trace and Will looked at each other before carefully heading into the small cavern. Bright white walls, filled with code and pictures. Will's eyes darted everywhere, almost stumbling over his own feet as he was captivated with the sight. Trace laughed as he watched Will. An explosion in the distance brought the group back to reality.

"The walls here depict the history of the Digital world. How everything began and what once was." Delmon spoke proudly yet peacefully.

"Could I-" Will was cut off immedietly.

"No. Before you ask, you may not look." Delmon laughed softly. The group came up to a wooden door, decorated with golden symbols.

"Trace,you will be first to enter." Delmon turned and held the door open for him. "I shall return for you later, Will." A chill ran down Will's spine. He hated meeting people who already knew his name. Trace entered, giving Will a distressed looked. Will smirked, before his thoughts drifted back to the battle going on outside.

Trace and Delmon sat a table in the middle of a dark room. Torches lit the walls , barely illuminating the wooden table. The table had circles of golden Digital Code around it.

"Place your hands in the middle of the central circle." Trace did as he was insulted. Delmon held his hand in the air, as a purple light surrounded it. The silence was deafening.

"You are connected to the Protector. Your desitnies are paired. The two of you will fight in the coming wars together. Maybe not always on the same side. A darkness is coming. One you will be forced to combat. Your quest to destroy this darkness will lead you back home. The shadow of darkness grows in your team. In the final days before the silence, you will be connected to the child of courage, the protector and the child of life. You shall be allies and comards." Delmon flinched unexpectedly.

"It would be wrong to tell you more." Trace nodded , speechless. He couldn't even comprehend what Dmon was saying. Trace simply nodded, stood and left. When he joined Will on the other side of the door, he simply pointed , indicating for Will to enter. Will paled. What was waiting for him on the otherside of the door? Will entered and quickly walked to the table and sat down. He did exactly what Trace had done. Delmon began the same way. Delmon shuddered.

"Yours is a short,dark future. There is not much left for you to do. Your struggle is coming to a close with the sixth Sovereign, Alpha Strikemon. Darkness is coming. It hides in every corner of you. You will be involved with the next war. A secret war fought in the shadows. You shall lose your allies and turn on them. Your end shall be brought about by a unison of your enemies." Delmon's hand clenched into a fist. Will tensed, there was no way this could be right.

"Your time is ending." Dmon instantly pushed away. "I can tell you no more." Delmon turned away. Will sat there in silence. No way this could be true.

"You mean my time as a gaurdian is ending? Or as a Digidestined?" Will asked quietly. Delmon barely turned.

"In a way, yes." A smirk grew on Will's face. Delmon turned away again.

"You should go help your friend now." Will rose. So what if there was darkness? He'd finally be out of that job. Will stood and headed for the door.

"Do not waste this warning. You may leave the Gaurdians, but it may not be how you expect." Will froze, his hand on the door.

"I know that it's possible I may not be alive to get out of it, but I'll make sure I go down fighting." Will left the room. Delmon stood alone in the dimly lit room.

"You have no idea how right you are." He spoke softly into the darkness.

When Will emerged from the cavern, Tai and Trace were waiting outside.

"Tai! You alright?" Will rushed over. Tai smiled.

"Of course. He wasn't a problem. The champion's called Omega Strikemon by the way. Agumon buried him under a mountain." Tai crossed his arms. Trace stood there silently.

"So what did Delmon tell you?" Tai asked. Will and Trace flinched slightly.

"Basically, the three of us and Alex Dowski are going to be involved with something later down the line." Trace said flatly. The prospect of more war was heavy on his mind. Tai looked to Will.

"We're going to beat Alpha Strikemon." Will laughed. He wasn't lieing, he just left out the other details.

"What about you?" Trace asked,indicating Tai.

"Said I'd help both worlds in the years to come." Tai smiled. Will could only cock an eyebrow.

"So, where are going?" Both Will and Tai turned to Trace as Tai asked him. Trace looked around at the rocky grey cavern. His eyes caught a perticular mountain.

"You see that white building on top of that mountain?" Both Tai and Will strained their eyes to see the building.

"That's where the D-cores are." Tai clapped his hands.

"Let's go!" Tai raised his arm in the air, Agumon coppied him as Tai lead the way. Will and Trace laughed as they followed him. His mind was elsewhere. He prayed silently that the darkness would not overtake him in the coming months. He clutched his left shoulder, a scar, a reminder from the past. He swore he would never work for the darkness again.

Sadly, the past always comes back to haunt you. No matter how deep you bury it or how hard to try to get rid of it. It'll creep back in.

Rain fell heavily. Winds thrashed at a rocky outcrop. Five brown pillars rose high into the air, threatening to break into the heavens. Lianne stood under cover nearby, holding a computer.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alex Dowski asked, his voice was weary. He knew what would happen. Lianne turned and faced him.

"Lets get to work."


	19. My final moments

I feel this chapter was a little rushed and maybe not as good as it should have been and I apologise for that. In all honesty, there isn't much left in this story to do. I estimate there are about ten chapters left, at most.

I'm honestly surprised I haven't yet been flamed. Even on my old account I didn't get flamed. Probably just jinxed myself didn't I?

Ah well, I hope everyone enjoys reading this chapter. Good luck to anybody sitting January exams.

* * *

Stars littered the sky, as a lone figure stared up into the nights sky. He rubbed his face with his good hand before coughing slightly. So close. They were so close. Will's eyes traced the outline of a white marble temple, where Trace said the D-cores were kept. So close, just a few hours walk. The urge to leave under the blanket of the night was over powering.

"Don't even think about it." Will turned and saw Tai approaching, his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Think about what?" Will said grimly. Tai grinned.

"You're tempted to leave early, I know you." Tai leaned against the opposite cave wall to Will so the two could face other. They both turned and faced the gleemingly white temple.

"It's strange how easily we ran into Delmon ,isn't it?" Will said, lately he was unable to piece anything together.

"Delmon is strange, he appears in all areas of the Digital timeline to different Digidestined. It's what he does I think. Izzy and I have different ideas on him though." Tai said simply. Will jerked his head in Tai's direction with a confussed look.

"How the hell could you possibly know that?" Will's voice was louder than he expected as he quickly looked to see if he had woken Trace or the Digimon.

" Digital records we were using to search for the artefacts. I'm not as dull as I look you know." Will's mouth droped into a little "o". He was honestly lost for words. He knew Tai had some intelligence, but this was beyond his expectations.

"So what did Delmon say to you?" Will asked, his curiousity was annoying him. He wanted to know what Delmon had said to him for Tai to outright challenge Omega Strikemon in open combat.

"He said I'd lead the Digital world to true ever lasting peace." Tai's voice was low and quiet. "How the hell do I do that if I keep running from battles?" Tai cocked his head and grinned madly. Will nodded. Conflicting futures, a horrible feeling spread across him.

"Delmon told me I'd face darkness,one more time." Tai gave Will a confussed look.

"What do you mean?" Tai asked. Will stared at the temple.

"It was around the time we met, in America. Each Digidestined who has travelled to the Nightmare world can become corrupt. David. Alex. Mark. Even me. Lianne's immune to the effect because of what her crest is. A mix of Light and Hope. It happened to me. I went around with Lightmon, who was affected too. We fought any Digimon possible. We took on Azulongmon and lived to tell the tale. I became known as Saxon." Will paused, his memory began to blur at that point.

"The bringer of darkness." Tai whispered. Will turned and nodded, he assumed he came across it in the records.

"We destroyed villages, camps, small towns. We still went after the rouge Digimon you came across. We just didn't realise what we were doing along the way. Then one day, I blacked out. I've no memory of what happened. I was just Will and my crest didn't work. It was cracked, like it had a huge surge of power or something. Reports showed that Lightmon and I were defeated by a figure with a brown coat and a Ravemon." Will shook his head.

"David?" Tai asked. Will ran his good hand through his hair.

"For all I know , it's possible. If Delmon's right, it's possible I'll face dark Digidestined or rouges again." Will said quickly. He didn't want to say the other possibilty. Tai was about to speak before Will cut him off.

"It could mean I become Saxon again." Will muttered quickly. David wouldn't be here to stop him this time.

"No problem!" Will turned and faced Tai.

"What?" Tai had the natural ability to confuse Will in a second in an infinite number of ways.

"I'll take care of it. Whatever it is, Digidestined, Digimon or you. I'll fight them, with you. Besides, not like you could beat me!" Tai stood and folded his arms and puffed out his chest. Will looked down, he couldn't bare to tell Tai just what he was like when he was Saxon.

" Lightmon and I killed Alphamon, the leader of the Royal Knights. He tried to stop us, to help us. We fought in a duel and defeated him. It's been years and he hasn't been reborn yet. I'm afraid the corrupt Data did something to him. It could happen to you, or Agumon." Will muttered darkly.

* * *

Five brown stone pillars reached into the sky, one for each sovereign. The pillars rested at the top of a cliff, resting in a large stone circle. In the middle was a small round table. Two figures ran quickly up to it, their Digivices at the ready. NeoFlamdramon and Sabre Leomon followed them closely. Small humanoid grey figures chased after them, just moments away. They had broken the defences gaurding the shrine. Lianne was the first to reach the small table and studied it. Small indents in the table sat under a different symbol. The eight main crests decorated the table in a circle.

"You will not achieve anything!" A large silver knight appeared at the other end of the shrine. Alpha Strikemon's grand general, Warrior Strikemon. The head of the eagle on his right shoulder gaurd glistened dangerously in the rain.

"We'll take care of him, you just figure out what you have to do!" Alex Dowksi ran forward, closely followed by NeoFlamdramon.

"An ultimate? Get real." Warrior Strikemon began to draw his sword as he stepped into the stone settlement.

"Do not underestimate us!" NeoFlamdramon's voiced carried across the area as he vanished, only to reappear directly infront of Warrior Strikemon, knocking him back. Alex ran as fast as he could, his white gaurdian coat flapping violently in the stormy wind. Neofladramon vanished and reappeared, striking the knight at any open opportunity pushing him futher back. Neoflamdramon became nothing more than a blur of white. One strong kick was all it took, to knock Warrior Strikemon off the edge of the cliff. Flipping around, he landed on his feet, not a scratch on him.

"How dare you assault me! This is my domain!" Warrior Strikemon's voice bellowed up to them, the wind becoming even more violent.

"You up for this?" Alex asked, as he looked sideways at Neoflamdramon.

"Of course. I've always wanted to fight Warrior Strikemon. It's not like we have a choice right now." Neoflamedramon shot off the cliffs edge, his wings helping him take flight. Within seconds, hundreds of white golden tipped feathers were raining down on his enemy. Alex looked back at Lianne, who was still at the small table like alter. His heart sunk. Had it really come to this? He gave him a thumbs up before quickly running back past them , as he ran down the path in an attempt to rejoin his partner.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Sabre Leomon's voice growled gently. Lianne looked at the small alter infront of her. Her eyes lingered on the crests of Hope and Light. She coughed heavily. Whatever virus was inside her was beginning to affect her. It had only been two days at most since she walked out of the hospital and her conditional was beginning to fail her.

"Yes. We have to help the others. We can't just sit back and do nothing." Lianne looked into the eys of Sabre Leomon. Recognition.

"Then I shall protect you!" Sabre Leomon roared feriously. The sound carried for miles sending chills up the strongest fighters back. The ground shock violently under the sheer force of his roar. The wind stopped and clamed around them. Any grey figures nearby were instantly torn apart. Sabre Leomon become nothing more than a yellow flash, tearing apart anything that came near, no matter how strong it was. He would let nothing touch his partner.

Lianne watched on, her partner fighting valiantly to defend her. Slowly she looked at her Digivice. It was the same as the original Digivices. She placed it slowly in the slot between the crests of Hope and Light. Silence. The sound of something creeking began to grow louder before a solid beam of white light shot into the air from Lianne's Digivice. It was beginning. Lianne watched as the beam of light pierced the sky, disappearing above the black clouds. A small ring of white light began to form between the pillars. Just a few minutes and it would be ready. The sounds of cracking came from infront of her. She looked up, to see a small pin of black quickly expand into a large void.

"Did you honestly expect to activate the shrine of the Sovereigns, and for me not to notice a beam of light stretching into the sky? It's visable across the entire Digital worlds." Alpha Strikemon slowly emerged. He stood, floating in the sky, not making any move. A chill ran up Lianne's spine.

"I had a feeling you'd show up at some point." Lianne formed her hands into fists. They were close, they just need time.

"Then you must understand the risks involved. Tell me, why are you doing this?" Alpha Strikemon didn't move, his black cloak concealing his entire form.

"You have to be stopped. You can not be allowed to bring darkness to both worlds!" Lianne spoke angrily. The Digidestined had always fought to stop beings such as him.

"You honestly think that is what I'm after? You are mistaken." Alpha Strikemon's voice was careful, gentle and understanding.

"What?" Lianne spoke softly. She had never met a virus type Digimon who hadn't wanted to spread Darkness to the worlds, nevermind the god of virus Digimon.

"I was imprisioned for fighting for what I believed to be right. The Sovereigns clearly haven't told you the full events." Alpha Strikemon approached slowly, now standing on the stone floor of the open air shrine.

"What happened?" Lianne asked quietly. She didn't trust him.

"I wanted to help-" Before Alpha Strikemon could finish, Sabre Leomon charged forward.

"I won't let you harm her!" Sabre Leomon sank his indestructable teeth into Alpha Strikemon's armour. Alpha Strikemon didn't move , simply pulling off the lion Digimon with his free hand before throwing him across the shrine.

"Do not test my patience!" Alpha Strikemon shifted so part of his cloack fell back, to reveal one armoured hand, a deadly red glow to it.

"No!" Before Lianne could do anything, Alpha Strikemon launched a dart of bright red energy at her Digimon partner. A small blast destroyed the floor partially, smoke rising into the air. Sabre Leomon no where to be seen. A yellow flash attacked the Sovereign from behind, knocking him forward. Lianne looked around, the white ring of light connecting the pillars wasn't ready, it was only half way.

"Sabre Leomon, shift Digivolve!" Lianne shouted out. Each gaurdian was given a different ability, something each person could use. Will's was to help Lightmon reach Super Ultimate.

"Impressive. So you were given Shift Digivolving. The ability to use any alternative Digivolvoution of your partner." Alpha Strikemon's voice was quick,almost giddy. A golden light had surrounded Sabre Leomon before shattering apart. In his place was a humanoid lion Digimon , standing on two legs. Black combat trousers, a heavy black coat. A red X scar across his chest, and in one hand, a long deadly powerful sword.

"Bancho Leomon!" The Digimon declared himself, with a swipe of his sword. Alpha Strikemon drew his sword.

"This should humour me for a little bit." The two Digimon ran at each other. Alpha Strikemon immediately went for the first strike, only for Banch Leomon to turn so the attack hit his coat instead. The attack bounched from his coat to the floor before Bancho Leomon turned and struck Alpha Strikemon's armour with his own attack.

"My coat removes 89% of damage of any attack, we're on even ground here!" Bancho Leomon declared with a laugh before charging in for another attack.

Alex quickly sent his fist into another grey figure before leaping back and missing another attack. His eyes darted over to his partner , who was stuck in a dead lock with the Warrior Strikemon. Neoflamdramon had summoned a white staff, to block the sword Warrior Strikemon was using. Warrior Strikemon broke the deadlock and rushed in with his free hand, knocking Neoflamedramon into the base of the cliff.

"Neo!" Alex quickly went to run over, only for Neoflamedramon to stumble back to his feet and rush in to attack again. Warrior Strikemon deflected the flurry of attacks, only to keep knocking NeoFlamdramon back.

"You're stubborn. Annoyingly stubborn." Warrior Strikemon said as he unleashed a strong attack. Neoflamedramon slammed back into the cliff face, but this time didn't move. Alex watched on, frozen in shock. Warrior Strikemon turned and advanced on Alex.

"Your turn." His voice full of malice.

Bancho Leomon panted heavily, his sword felt heavy in his hands. Alpha Strikemon had pushed him back to the other edge of the shrine. Alpha Strikemon walked slowly towards them, it was evidant who was stronger. Bancho Leomon looked towards Lianne, with reknewed strength, he rushed forward. The two exchanged blows, Bancho Leomon leapt to the side to break apart before falling to one knee. His body was torn and beaten. His eyes inspected his oppoents armour, not eve a scratch on him,despite the number of attacks that had landed on him. He had nothing left. His energy was running out, every muscle burned and his wounds were too much. His sword fell from his hand as his vision blurred. Alpha Strikemon walked up to him, before seething his own sword, his free glowing the same red blur as before. With a single strike, Bancho Leomon burst into data. Lianne turned away, as her partners data flooded the air around her.

"Leomon." Lianne said weakly. She glanced up at the pillars, it was nearly time. Just a few more seconds.

"I will give you one chance to leave this place, Digidestined." Alpha Strikemon rose into the air, a shimmering white orb in his right hand. Lianne watched on. She had to stay, her connection to the Digivice was vital for this. She had accepted her fate. Die by virus, or die fighting. She always knew which one she'd choose. She could feel it, the calm that would soon come. A calm that would soon take over the Digital world. She looked up and smiled.

"You're going to lose you know. The others don't give up easily." Lianne smiled. The Digidestined were strong, always had been. Her part in this was over. Her thoughts drifted to anyone who had been a good friend to her. Her old team. New friends. Alpha Strikemon let the shimmering white orb descend quickly.

"Sorry, everybody." As she spoke her final words, a single white ring of energy pulsed from the five pillars before firing into the sky. The white orb detonated as it touched the alter, a soundless explosion. Just pure destruction. A white light, strong enough to blind anyone who dared to look died down. Nothing was left, the entire area of the cliff had been completely oblitered. The force of the explosion rushed away, tearing anything out of the ground that wasnt tired down enough. Alex and Neofladramon had been knocked away a large distance away, as Warrior Strikemon stood still, able to wishstand it.

* * *

Gennai lowered his head. He had just recieved news, another Digivice signal had vanished. He collasped in a wooden chair. Alex Stone stood nearby, his arms folded as he watched out the window.

"I should have stayed and fought with Trace." Alex said quietly. Gennai didn't have it in him to reply.

"Begin preparations, we know what's coming now." Gennai said quietly, lacking any emotion in his voice. Alex nodded before pulling a white sash tighter, that had been tied around his arm. Gennai stood and looked at the growing list of fallen Digidestined. How many more? His thoughts were cut off as he had followed Alex out of the room.

* * *

Alpha Strikemon looked to the sky as the clouds raptured and thundered. Light flashed violently across the clouds. Alpha Strikemon focussed his eyes as his caught the glimpse of a ghost like entity , travelling through the clouds. Chains wrapped around the see through essence of the body as the head emerged from the clouds. A long gentle silver beard. A dark blue mask, yellow lightning marks adorned all over it and a single piercing horn in the shape of a lightning bolt.

"What? No witty remarks? That's sad, Azulongmon." Alpha Strikemon watched as the sovereign of the east glared at him.

"You should never have been trusted." Azulongmon growled. The chains rattled lightly as his small white wings emerged behind him. Alpha Strikemon laughed.

"Trusted? You sealed me away before I could do anything!" Alpha Strikemon rested his hand on his sword. His voice was low and dangerous.

"You attacked and destroyed the South sector of the Digital world. You waged war on us. Your mere existance brought the world into war. Even the fragments of you that survived in the other Strikemon brought nothing but devastation." Lightning crackled among the clouds as Azulongmon spoke. His patience was thin.

"This world needed balance! That's the reason you sovereigns created us! We were to be the darkness to your light. The Digimon deserved to be free and allowed to choose their own paths. They need not follow your orders as gods! I tried to help them! You condemmed me for my beliefs." Alpha Strikemon shifted into an offensive posistion.

"You should not exist! Aurora force!" Azulongmon's voice bellowed across the area. Dangerously large lightning bolts began to fall , tearing apart the land below. Alpha Strikemon dodged them as quickly as possible, one tiny bolt of lightning grazed him lightning him on fire. Pull his sword free, he charged up at Azulongmon, still ablaze.

"Chaos ripper!" With a single swipe of his sword, a huge beam of dark blue light danced across the sky. Azulongmon barely moved.

"Lightning whip!" A bolt of lightning tore through the attack before quickly wrapping itself around the Sixth Sovereign, throwing him to the floor.

"Aurora force!" A huge pillar of lightning descended from the heavens, engulfing everything around Alpha Strikemon. Silence fell over the area as fire raged across anything flamable. A small crackle of laughter rose up, as Alpha Strikemon floated back into the air.

"You haven't changed! In hundreds of years, your style hasn't changed. You're lucky we're not destined to fight today. I will come back for you." With that, Alpha Strikemon disappeared in a small black dot. Azulongmon floated uneasily in the cloud, as his eyes fell to the remains of the shrine.

"You should return home, Digidestined of Life." With his final worlds, Azulongmon disappeared into the clouds, as he travelled across the Digital world. Alex watched on, in compete awe. He had just witnessed two Digital Gods go toe to toe. How were they meant to match the power of something even Azulongmon struggled with?

* * *

A chill ran up Will's spine. Something had happened. Something bad.

"So you plan on telling Sora how you feel?" Will's attention snapped to Tai. They had remained at the cave entrance, both unable to sleep.

"What?" Will asked. How did he know? Would he be angry?

"I over heard you and Trace talking the other night." Tai said simply and grinned. Will looked away.

"Sorry." Will said simply. He felt as if he had betrayed Tai. Stabbed his best friend in the back.

"I understand if you'd rather I didn't do anything." Will said quietly. Tai frowned.

"Hell no! You should tell her. I just think..." Tai's voice trailed off. Will turned and stared at him.

"You just think what?" Will asked curiously.

"Well, just follow my thoughts on this one. You're the Gaurdian of Love and Friendship right? Well, that means your crest is sort of a mix of the two. That means that you're like Matt and Sora in both posistive ways. Do you think...that maybe, if Sora does like you, she only likes you because you're like Matt?" Tai said tentatively, the thought had been bothering him for a while. Will looked at him with a loss for words.

"What the hell Tai! Just because you lost chance with her doesn't mean you have to try and put me down!" Will was annoyed, there was no way that was why Sora and him were so close. Was there?

"Hey, that was uncalled for. I'm just trying to give you a heads up!" Tai said angrily as Will grabbed Tai's shirt with his good hand.

"Heads up! More like trying to put me off her! I helped you when you had the chance. Least you could do is the same for me!" Will had never wanted to hit Tai more than he had in that moment. Tai grabbed hold of Will's t-shirt, his anger sky rocketed.

"I am trying to help you! I don't want to see you get hurt like I did!" Tai said quickly,inchs from Will's face. Will watche Tai's expression. Tai was being honest. He was trying to help him. It didn't stop him from wanting to burn Tai's hair off though.

"Whatever!" Will pushed Tai away as he quickly left the cave.

"Where are you going? Coward!" Tai called after him. He had only wanted to help. Trace walked up to Tai, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What's going on?" Trace asked slowly. Tai turned and walked deeper into the cave.

"Ah, whatever!" Trace watched as Tai headed one way and Will headed the opposite direction. Trace stood there, confused.

"What just happened?" Trace asked the darkness.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed. Don't forget to drop a review!


	20. Judgement

Hey guys, sorry for the late update but I had exams and my birthday night out. Safe to say, I'm probably not very sober posting this. Oh well. This probably isn't the best chapter I've done but it's okay, I feel it's perfect for what's next.

Myself, AlexDowski and Etiger have all noticed one thing lacking in our upcoming project. We lack a female lead. If you have a female Oc to submit that could stand out from the others, send it in. I warn you though, we will want full use of that Oc for all three of us for very long stories. If you would like to submit an Oc, please follow the form at the end of the chapter.

I hope you all read, enjoy and review!

* * *

A small rock had shot through the air, following by a sharp gasp of pain. With an annoyed exhaled of air, Will leaded back agains't a tree, his head resting on the bark. Shutting his eyes, his mind failed to escape the melee of thoughts asaulting his sober counciousness.

"He's right." He barely wanted to hear the words from his own mouth, nevermind actually speak them. He had to admit, Tai was right. It was very possible. Too possible. He was a guardian of Love and Friendship. His crest was born from the two crests he protected. Therefor, he carried both traits. Simply, he was half Matt, half Sora. It was possible, if Sora had any feelings for him, they were for the half of him that was Matt. Will stared up into the empty night's sky. Dawn was soon. Did Gennai really pick him to be a Guardian based on who he was? Or was it just coincidence? Could he really be exactly half of two people he had to protect? Will rubbed his left arm, still slightly injured.

"Did I really have to be a Digidestined?" Will's eyes fell to the ground, it was a blessing to be apart of something so magnificent as the Digital world, but also a curse. A curse of war and suffering. The Digital world took innocent teens and children and made them into it's protectors, it's own private army. He had faced so many battles, so many wars. He'd been apart of around twelve teams. A gentle breeze swam through the dense forest. He had found it painfully easy to just join a team, finish the fight and leave. Except the Odaiba team. The original team. In his mind, the original Digidestined didn't count as a team, but Tai and the others did. Something would always bring him back. He sighed, he knew what it was. Sora. It was his duty to protect her and she was his friend. One of his best friends. No matter how many times Will would try to leave he knew he'd return, to protect her. He had a feeling he'd eventually end up living in Odaiba full time. A quick succession of beeping woke him from his intoxicating thoughts of Sora. Pulling out his Digivice a message appeared on the screen.

To : William

Sender : Izzy

We found the third artefact. It was on file island. Rest is up to you guys.

Koushiro.

His heart sank. They had all three artefacts, but one was still missing. Destroyed by Alpha Strikemon in a battle with Alex Stone. Even if they used the three artefacts, how would they do anything without the fourth? Will pushed himself from the tree. Least he could would be to tell the others about the message. He trudged slowly back towards the cave, one thought on his mind. When did Tai become so perceptive?

* * *

"I'm telling you I can handle this!" Matt Ishida ran for all he was worth along the abandonded pavement of the now dead city. His voice echoed off the empty buildings , his footsteps filled the empty air. His black shirt and black jeans made no effort to protect him from the cold. Leaving his sleeves rolled up may have been a bad idea, but he had more pressing concerns right now. A dark blue metal wolf ran ahead of him, his paws pounding softly on the road.

"I don't care! He's our target!" Across from him on the other side of the road, Willis kept up with him. His white guardian coat trailing behind him in the wind. Running ahead of him, almost with Metal Garurumon, a large strangely formed green armoured rabbit twitched, as his large ears caught something.

"He's near by!" Rapidmon shouted as Metal Garurumon sped off, resisting the urge to just rocket up a building. A brief flicked caught Metal Garurumon's attention.

"There's more than one!" Metal Garurumon growled. Matt and Willis glared at each other.

"Let's split up!" They both shouted at once. As they reached a "T" juntion, both groups split off. Matt and Metal Garurumon went left, Willis and Rapidmon went right. Just softly in the darkness, Matt's voice could be heard.

"It was my idea!"

* * *

Something was wrong. Sora paced around Matt's small, messy apartment. Biyomon sat staring out the window, slowly watching the lights vanish. Sora paced up to the front door, almost expecting Matt to burst in. She began to play with the sleeve of her maroon jumper. Matt's father had decided to stay at the office, so Matt invited Sora around for some company.

"How long has he been gone B?" Sora didn't turn to look, already knowing the answer.

"About an hour. Relax. Maybe they're just really busy at the shop." Sora frowned. Matt had only gone out to buy something to eat. He'd been gone an hour with Gabumon. The thought of him having Gabumon there made her relax slightly. She had thought of calling him, but his phone was in the kitchen, under a coffee mug for whatever bizzare reason. She had thought to call Will to track him down, but he wasn't here.

"Sora!" Biymon cried. Sora turned instantly.

"What is it?" Biyomon motion for Sora to come over to the window.

"There are Digimon! Metal Garurumon and a Rapidmon are chasing after them!" Sora watched where Biyomon had pointed. A small patch of darkness raced ahead in the night, a small flame was the only real sign they were there. Metal Garurumon closesly followed behind, letting one of his missles fly across the roof tops. Sora watched as the missle missed it's target, encasing the top of a building in ice. Her eyes flickered to Rapidmon who was shooting down his target from the ground. She watched as glass fell to the ground, each hit missing. Sora and Biyomon looked at each other before racing for the door, Sora grabbing her Digivice on the way out.

* * *

Will walked quickly,making his way back to the cave. As he entered the small clearing outside, he saw Tai and Trace quickly packing anything they could. Tai stopped and turned to face Will. The two boys faced each other, eyes locked. They both nodded slowly. They understood each other.

"Got a message from Izzy. They've got the remaining artefact." Tai frowned.

"It's useless without the fourth though." Trace pointed out the main problem easily. The three stood in silence.

"Then we better get those D-cores." Trace and Will turned to Tai before looking at the temple. Tai and Trace returned to packing as Will slowly made his way next to Tai.

"You being that perceptive is like me having a tan." Tai turned and looked at Will perplexed.

"Not natural." Tai laughed slightly before turning back to work. Will moved a few steps away from him before muttering quietly.

"Thanks, Tai."

* * *

Ice erupted from the cemented pavement. A small explosion followed by ice forming seemed to cover most of the area. Metal Garurumon aimed another attack as Matt caught up, slightly out of breath.

"Keep on him!" Matt yelled to his partner. The small creature turned to run again as small balls of fire erupted on the street infront of it. All eyes looked up to see a large firey bird slowly descend on the area,lightning it with her flames.

"Birdramon." Matt said quietly. The Digivolved version of Biymon. Sora joined him at his side as they took in the apperance of the Digimon. A large jet black wolf creature with a small thin tail with a tiny ball of fire on the end.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Metal Garurumon growled. The jet black wolf laughed.

"I'm HellHoundmon. A messenger of Alpha Strikemon." The group flinched at his name.

"You should prepare for his arrival. Lay down a royal carpet and bow to him. He and his armies are coming. They're coming to greet you!" HellHoundmon chuckled maniacly.

"When?" Matt's voice was cold,on edge. Sora nearly flinched from it, almost moving away from him.

"Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the day after. No sooner, no later." HellHoundmon laughed chaotically now. Metal Garurumon growled angrily, letting loose a stream of white frost from his jaws.

"Ice wolf blast!" The whole street was encased in ice, including the HellHoundmon, before cracking and breaking into thousands of individual pieces. Sora gripped Matt's hand.

"What do we do?" Sora asked, as he stared into Matt's eyes. His eyes were full of uncertainty.

"We do as he said, we prepare." The ground turned to face Willis who was carrying Terriermon. The two boys stared each other down. Silence fell between them.

"I have an idea." Both boys said at the same time. Sora frowned. There was an attack immient and they still couldn't work together.

* * *

Light filtered into a small dark room,hidden away from the prying eyes of the human world. Several figures stood gathered in a circle.

"Should we really be making this type of decision without Alphamon?" Hushed voices spoke up now and again to voice ill intent of their so called leader.

"Could we even survive this deal? He might turn around and strike at us after! We'd be vunerable!" A flurry of voices rose, eager to agree. Eager to run and hide. Their courage had failed. Quickly, a smaller figure marched into the room. The light illuminated his armour, every detail brought to their attention. Slightly dented brown armour. Lepordmon.

"The decision was made long ago. We know where our alligence lies. We will be present for the battle." All voices hushed as their stand in leader spoke.

"We shall endure the consequences our actions in the aftermath. We are the last of the appointed digital guardians. We must now break our bonds and face our true duty." Leopardmon's hand dawlded on the hilt of his sword. If any of his allies were going to turn and rebel, it would be now. No one moved. He rested his hand.

"It is decided. Our alligence is clear."

* * *

"Do you recognise any of this Trace?" Tai asked as he cautiously placed one foot infront of the other.

"No. Alex was the one who came and got the D-cores." Trace's heart sank, If only he had insisted in going in as well. He silently cursed the ex-guardian.

"So we're going in blind? Why does this always happen?" Will muttered. The rag tag team had entered the white stone marble temple first thing at dawn. Their hearts had leapt for joy. They had made it. As the group followed the tunnel, their hearts fell. Each wall was lined with digital code and torches, same as every other wall in this tunnel. They had been walking for a short time till they came across a tunnel that lead into nothing but darkness.

"So, who's first?" Will asked with a sly grin on his face. Lightmon looked at the other digimon and shrugged. Tai's eyes flashed to Trace and Will before grinning madly.

"Catch me if you can!" Tai shot off into the darkness without warning, his voice carrying along the air. Trace immedietly took off, followed by the two Agumon. Will sighed and nodded to Lightmon. The two slowly advanced into the darkness.

* * *

"Guys?" Tai looked around to see nothing. He in a completely pitch black room , tiny spots of light littered every direction.

"This is...different." Tai muttered worriedly. There was no floor, no walls and no ceiling. Not even some Digi code. Spining, Tai looked behind him. The path had disappeared. As soon as he had hit the darkness he felt himself fall for a second. He stared ahead , black and lights.

"Please don't tell me I'm stuck here! This is worse than detention!" Tai's face fell.

"Child of courage." A booming voice rang out in all directions, causing Tai to spring up again.

"Do not fear. The voice you hear is from the Judegment. We decide who recieves the power that resides here." The voice was calm,blunt.

"Why do you wish to take this power?" The voice asked Tai. Tai smirked.

"Simples! There's a dark digital god out to destroy the world..or something." As Tai spoke, he realised, no one really knew what Alpha Strikemon was after.

" I want to use the power to protect the Digital world. To fight to save everyone. I have to save them!" Silence echoed for several seconds. Tai felt his spirit fall, had they rejected him? A bright burning flash of light blinded Tai. The crest of courage appeared infront of him in all it's glory.

"Good answer." The voice boomed out one last time. The cres of courage quickly began to twist and warp into the centre of itself slowly getting brighter. The light carefully made its way over to Tai and he reached out and grabbed it. When he opened his palm, in his hand was what looked like a small white memory stick. The crest of courage formed at the top, burning itself into the white. Dizziness took over him and he fell.

* * *

"Why am I not surprised? I'm in the Digital Judgement for the second time in my life." Trace laughed softly. He knew what was coming.

"The ascended child." Trace nodded and waved his arm impatiently.

"We are aware of the power you seek. However, you already have the power of the ascended. Why do you need our power?" Trace's face fell, were they being serious?

"We're up agains't a god. We need all the power we can get!" Trace waved his arms to emphasis his point. Wondering if they could see him.

"What do you intend to do with that power?" Trace sighed heavily.

"I plan to help stop this god. If he wins then everything is in danger. Not just us, not just you,everything! We can't allow him to win!" Trace balled his hands into fists. He had to fight. Not just to save everyone, but to save that one special person to him. His special person. His heart hammered at the thought of her face. Her embrace.

"We can sense your desire of your loved one. You truly intend to save everyone." In a burst of gold and blue light, Trace's crest appeared infront of him. A gold cross with a skull infront of it, the word "save" emblazed across it. Trace smirked. He loved how his crest wasn't exactly normal comapred the others in their cryptic design. Trace watched as his crest warped itself into the small white memory stick shape. Quickly reaching out, his crest appeared on the top of the device. Dizziness began to wash over him.

"You're very much like your father."

* * *

"You have to be kidding me!" Will's voice carried across the vast space.

"I'm here! Again!" Will laughed hard. He knew what was coming.

"Protector." The judgements voice was harsh, almost bitter.

"Good to hear you again." Will said cheekily. He made a mental note not to hang around with Tai so often.

"You seek power. Why?" Will folded his arms,whincing slightly from pain.

"To stop Alpha Strikemon. To protect everyone." Will frowned. He knew exactly who he wanted to protect.

"We're aware of the special individuals you wish to save and protect. Empathy and Love. What if you can't save them?" Will glared, looking for any sign of a person or body.

"I won't fail." He balled his hands into fists. He would not fail. He couldn't. He had to save Lianne and Sora. He had to.

"Are you sure?" Will refrained from cursing the judgement.

"You know who my partner is. If we don't have the power we need to reach Alpha Strikemon's level, we have no way to stop him. You know we can do it." Will looked around frantically now.

"You have been corrupted in the past. We can not trust you with this power." Will could feel dizzyness creeping up on him.

"Wait!" The feeling subsided for a second. "Hasn't anyone ever taken a chance on you? Given you the benefit of the doubt? We need your help! Everything in creation is at stake if we don't act, including you! If we lose, it's not just the human world in danger, it's the Digital world too!" Silence fell. No feeling of dizzyness. Had he done it?

"Do not betray us." In a brilliant flash of red, his crest flashed into existance in front of him. In seconds it had warped into the small white D-core, his crest on the top of it. It was a darker shade of red than usual. Will's stomach sank as dizzyness took over him.

* * *

The sound of three beeps over and over rang out. Groggily , Will flipped over onto his back, the cold musy earth acting as a pillow for his head.

"You guys alright?" Trace asked as he pulled himself off the floor before stumbling backwards. How he hated that place.

"Yeah, five more hours please." Tai answered groggily as he rolled over before shooting onto his feet.

"Oh now that was a very bad idea." Tai crumpled and placed his hands on his knees, trying to support his frame. Will watched their antics, choosing to wait for the feeling to pass. The beeping was getting quicker.

"I think that's your Digivice Will." Trace said simply from his posistion on the floor. Tai looked over quickly at Will and back to the Digimon. They weren't fairing any better than they were. Will reached down to his belt and brought his Digivce up to see what was making the infernal contraption beep at him. Grumbling angrily, he saw he had a message.

Sender : Ishida Yamato (Matt / Blondy)

guys I don't know what's going on with you lot down there but we have a serious problem here. We just had a visit from a messenger dog of the Sixth Sovereign. He's going to attack, very soon! We need you guys back here! Izzy and Gennai agree with me. The attack is today or tomorrow. We need you guys.

P.s Since when was Willis so annoying?

P.P.s Sora misses you guys.

Matt.

Will shot up, quickly placing his Digivice back on his belt. He began to search frantically through his pockets before locating what he was looking for, the D-core.

"What is it?" Tai asked in a calm voice. Trace noticed what Will was doing. He knew how these things worked. Every evil Digimon had the same idea. He quickly stood and began to look for his D-core as well.

"Alpha Strikemon is going to attack the Digital world soon. We need to get back to Odaiba." Will coughed heavily. Tai's eyes went wide and he began to search for his D-core. Trace and Tai found them at the exact same time. All three boys held them , looking back and forth between the D-cores and each other.

"We should attack him here." All eyes turned to Trace. "We strike first. He won't expect it. We're more powerful now!" Trace gripped his D-core tightly. Will and Tai looked at each other and shrugged.

"He has a good point. We could prevent the whole attack." Will said slowly. Tai shook his head.

"So, attack a god with new power we don't know how to use yet? Six agains't a trillion?" Will and Trace laughed at Tai's exageration, but he had a point.

"If we lose in an outright attack, that's it for us. You realise that right?" Tai's word sent a sobering chill down everyones spines. Trace said nothing and looked at the floor.

"It's worth it if it means we save everyone. We have to fight." Trace couldn't face the others , he knew what he was suggesting.

"He's right. We don't have a choice. Either we stop them here and now , or the real world will be assaulted with untold death and damage! Tai, we're the Digidestined! We didn't ask to do this job but we all know what we have to do when the time comes." Will stared Tai in the eyes. Tai ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily. Were they really going to do this?

"Will, get the location of their main camp off Izzy." Tai said quietly before a grin broke onto his face.

"It's decided. We Strike them first." Silence fell as the three boys looked at each and nodded in turn. Their battle was quickly approaching, sooner than ever anticipated.

* * *

If you would like to submit a female Digidestined Oc please follow this form.

Name:

age (must be over 16):

nationality and home town:

appearance (good detail):

Background (good detail):

Personality (very good detail):

Special notes (are they a guardian, ex-rouge digidestined, dark digidestined , new type of digidestined?):

Crest/attribute :

Digimon :

personality :

intraining / rookie/champion / ultimate / mega.

I look forward to your enteries!


	21. Plan Of Action

I apologise this chapter has taken my a while to upload but between a lot of real life stuff, I haven't had much free time. Anyway, I should have another chapter uploaded by next monday.

The details for the female Oc main character in the previous chapter, I look forward to all and any submissions.

I hope you all read, enjoy and review.

* * *

They were all in posistion. The targets were directly in the centre of a valley. It had taken them constant travelling for a day and half to reach the dark, damp rusting brown valley. It had been a simple process to track down their chosen targets. Track down stragglers from a camp and some guards, beat information out of them and follow the lead. It was a brutally efficient process that had left a sour taste in their mouths. Tai had said it wasn't honourable, Trace had simply turned his head. Will took it in his stride, almost used to it. Now , here they were. Tai was hidden behind a small outcrop of rocks, Wargreymon close by. They were over looking the rusting valley, targets slowly approaching them. Trace was hidden down on the ground floor, Black Wargreymon completely hidden from view. Hidden away from view all together at the opposite end of the valley, forming a triangle, Will and Lightmon waited. The plan involved them staying out of the fight. Will and Lightmon had grudgingly agreed, despite wanting to back up their friends.

The information had been clear. The two main generals were meeting at the Red Valley floor, to use what was left of a Digital gate. No one had been quite sure where the gate lead, but the word with the soliders was the Sovereign would alter it. The trio had decided, this is where they would stop them. In the middle of the valley floor, stood a large dark grey ash archway with black tinted dusty glass. Plan A involved in beating the generals and capturing the gate, Plan B was to retreat through the gate. How plan B was going to work was anyones guess. One small flicker and instantly, standing next to the gate stood the now dark silver Warrior Strikemon.

Nothing needed to be said. Everyone's heart lurched forward. The possibility of only one general showing up had been discussed and they know the plan of action. Silence descended as Black Warygreymon tore through the air at blistering speed, Warrior Strikemon could do nothing to avoid the full force of the attack. The two figures crashed into the valley wall before both rebounding off into seperate stances.

"The infamous Black Wargreymon. Never expected to fight you. You're supposed to be dead." Warrior Strikemon shifted slightly, raising his arms into a defensive stance.

"I was reassembled, so I could deal with trash like you. I've been looking forward to this fight for a while." Black Wargreymon raced forward ready to dummy to the right. Warrior Strikemon stepped up to him, spun and landed a hard crunching kick to Black Wargreymon's knee. Before he could react, Warrior Strikemon smashed the back of his fist into the back of Black Wargreymon's head, knocking him to the floor. Before Warrior Strikemon could do anymore, Black Wargreymon swung his leg out, in a low sweeping kick before pushing forward and twisting to his feet.

"You're supposed to be something to be feared. I'm surprised they even bothered reviving you. No, I'm surprised they made you into a real Digimon. Not a control spire rip off." Warrior Strikemon chose his words carefully and dressed in a sneer tone. Black Wargreymon growled dangerously. Black Wargreymon charged again, his strikes were deadly, precise and lightning fast. Warrior Strikemon struggled to keep track , several times Black Wargreymon's dramon killers scratched the silver polished armour. Warrior Strikemon siezed the tinest of openings and dashed in, his elbow slamming hard into Black Wargreymon's mid section before pulling back his fist and delievering a skull shattering uppercut to Black Wargreymon's chin. As Black Wargreymon stumbled back, Warrior Strikemon clenched his fist, a torrent of dull grey air formed at the end of the fist before he rushed in, delivering a shattering blow to Black Wargreymon's midsection. Black Wargreymon rocketed back, almost slamming into the other valley wall.

Trace swore. He had to sit there and watch his partner get beaten half way to hell. It was brutal. They hadn't come across someone this strong in a while. His thumb traced his crest on the D-core. What good was having it when it didn't activate? Even when his partner was in danger? Trace willed with everything he could, but it wouldn't activate. Not even his crest would glow. Trace clenched the D-core in a fist before shoving it into a pocket. He had no other option, he didn't want to use this here but there wasn't any other way out. Trace pulled out his Digivice and ran towards Black Wargreymon. The familiar beeping echoed all around, earning a confussed stare from Tai.

"Black Wargreymon! We have to do it, he's too strong otherwise!" As Black Wargreymon pulled himself up, he didn't protest as both he and Trace were englufed in a golden light. As the two golden lights collided , they began to take on one new whole form.

"Black Wargreymon X!" Everyone except Will and Lightmon stared in complete shock as the new form emerged from the golden light. Sharper, crueler armour. One being instead of two. An air of eerie terror rolled off in waves. Tai took a sharp intake of breath, War Greymon watched on, glad that Black Wargreymon was now on their side. Warrior Strikemon rasied both his arms in defence.

"What the hell are you!" Pure terror. No one could blame him. A chill went down everyone's spine. The Digimon before them was terrifying.

"I'm an "X" Digimon. I'm stronger and more advanced than most Digimon will ever be. I am a combination of Trace and Black Wargreymon. In other words, you're in trouble." Even the dual voice of Trace and Black Wargreymon sounded sinister, almost mutated. In the blink of an eye, Black Wargreymon X was upon Warrior Strikemon, launching attack after attack. A trail of destruction tore across the ground and one of the valley walls in a hail of a dust and showering rock.

"What the hell is that?" Tai cringed, that amount of power wasn't natural, Digidestined or not. Will merely smirked from where he sat. He had only seen Black Wargreymon X in action once. He had never heard of X digimon before or since. There was no information on them, all he knew was they were more advanced, stronger, quicker and deadly. At least the supposedly only one in existance was on their side. Will had gone over the sceanrio in his head, without being able to activate the D-cores, Trace had done the right thing.

Warrior Strikemon backed away, rebounding across the area. He couldn't see, red rotten dust had been kicked up everywhere. One of Black Wargreymon X's mutated dramon killers tore through the dust, knocking Warrior Strikemon out of the dust cloud. His armour now torn and buckled. One lucky kick knocked Black Wargreymon X back from another attack but in the blink of an eye, the black armoured Digimon knocked Warrior Strikemon to the floor with a whim. Silence rang out as rocks and debris showered the valley floor. Nothing moved except for the heavy breathing of certain individuals. Crack. Black Wargreymon X crashed into the ground, metal buckling and twisting under the force.

"Wargreymon! Go!" Tai urged his partner on, he had witness who the attacker was. Omega Strikemon. Wargreymon tore into the air , hiding in the dust cloud waiting to see how his opponent would move. Omega Strikemon pulled his sword back, his eyes pinned to where Black Wargreymon X had crashed. An eerie green glow from his weapon of choice illuminated his armour, not a scartch. Wargreymon burst out from the red dust cloud, body slamming Omega Strikemon causing him to drop his sword. Omega Strikemon kicked against Wargreymon , causing him to let go and the two to stop in mid air.

"I hope you enjoyed being buried under that moutain." Wargreymon growled playfully. He was honestly shocked that Omega Strikemon had survived.

"I'll make sure to return the favour." Omega Strikemon vanished from sight, only to appear behind Wargreymon knocking him forward. In the blink of an eye, Omega Strikemon struck Wargreymon from another direction. Omega Strikemon moved faster than anything before, stirking Wargreymon in every direction.

"Grand strike!" Omega Strikemon's fist turned into a ball of dark violent green flame , before using it to send Wargreymon flying down to the valley floor. Tai watched on, helpless.

"Why won't this thing work!" Tai's eyes darted from the D-core to Will. Why wasn't it activating? Tai stared intensly at his crest of courage. Nothing. Not even a glimmer. Had they missed something? A tiny piece of information? A trial? Debris showered around him as he covered his head with his arms to defend himself. Tai looked up, Wargreymon had just thrown a tiny terra force into an attack from Omega Strikemon. The resulting explosion had impacted on the wall of the valley, clearing the red dust cloud away. Tai and Will's eyes darted to the scene on the valley floor. Black Wargeymon X and Warrior Strikemon locked in combat, deflecting attacks at high speed. Warrior Strikemon leapt away, creating a large distance between the two.

"Omega Strikemon! Cover me!" All eyes turned to the green winged knight as he dodged a close ranged attack from Wargreymon turned and shot to Black Wargreymon X. Wargreymon chased after him, as Omega Strikemon began to launch a fury of attacks on the two metal dragons. Warrior Strikemon hunched over, his cape detacthed and fliterreed away in the wind. He dug his hands into the ground, and the sounds of metal crashing against metal echoed all around.

"What's he doing?" Black Wargreymon X asked, dodging another attack. Wargreymon lunged in, just scratching one of the metal wings of Omega Strikemon.

"Doesn't matter, we just need to stop him!" Wargreymon shouted back as he stumbled past Omega Strikemon. He took his chance and tried to kick off so he could rocket towards Warrior Strikemon. Omega Strikemon vanished and sent Wargreymon flying back.

"Quantum formation!" Pillars of fleshy grey substance shot out from the ground and began to pool and form together into two seperate large lumbering forms. It grew in size, causing all Digimon to back away from the area. The grey lumbering forms grew to impossible sizes, black rings spreading around the flesh. In moments, two huge lumbering malformed human figures towered over the Digimon.

"Just the opening I needed." Warrior Strikemon pulled his arms from the ground and clenched his fists. Torrents of wind formed at the end of each fist, travelling dangerously around his arms.

Will had been watching. Nothing had gone as they had thought it would. He was still meant to stay out of it for a while yet. He fidgeted nervously, his fingers tracing the pattern of his crest on the D-core. They should be active by now. Will and Lightmon watched on , as their friends dodged attacked from four fronts at the same time.

"Do you think you could Digivolve and take those two out from long range?" Will asked quietly.

"Probably. They could probably take a few long range attacks, but if I cut them, they'll fall." Lightmon then shrugged. Will cocked an eyebrow. Was Lightmon itching for a battle that badly?

"So, hit and run out of the dust cloud?" Will smirked, deviating from a plan, going against orders, striking down several enemies. Sounds like any other day. In a flash of golden light, the blue Warrior Strikemon disappeared into the dust cloud. As Wargreymon was about to be crushed by one of the massive, lumbering limbs, several discs of lightning seered through the limb making the figure stumble back. Hundreds of needle thin rods of lightning piereced the flesh of the grey creature, tearing it apart completely. Wargreymon understood instantly what was happening and pushed forward in an effort to burst through the middle of the creature. Wargreymon collided with Omega Strikemon, before the two engaged in their own duel once more. Wolf Warrior Strikemon moved around inside the small dust cloud that was left, careful to avoid Black Wargreymon X using it as cover as well. A figure shot past in the cloud, Black Wargreymon X closesly followed by the silver Warrior Strikemon. There, the opening. With a flick of his wrist, a hug thunder bolt crashed down and destroyed the second lumbering monster in seconds.

"Oh yeah, real subtle!" Will said harshly from where he was hidden. He could practically hear Tai's eyes bulging out of his head. Everything stopped, the dust cloud had vanished instantly. No one made a move as the Wolf Warrior Strikemon stood there, his blue armour revealed for all to see.

"lovely red valley isn't it? Digimon say this is where two of the original Digidestined died." Will's heart froze. His entire body couldn't move. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be here. Out of the corner of his eye, Will could see him. He was directly behind him. Alpha Strikemon.

"Will!" Warrior Strikemon moved incredibly fast. He couldn't let his best friend get hurt. Will felt a slight draft behind him. His eyes darted to his partner.

"Watch out!" Too late. Alpha Strikemon knocked Warrior Strikemon out of the sky.

"I'll handle them. You two get back." Alpha Strikemon's voice was calm and collected. Almost gentle. The silver Warrior Strikemon and Omega Strikemon looked at each other and quickly darted away. Both Wargreymon looked at each other before nodding and rocketed towards their new target. Their hearts stopped. They were going against a god, for each of them a second time. Black Wargreymon X stopped and let Wargreymon take charge. Black Wargreymon X formed a large spehere of green energy and held it. Wargreymon zipped in and launched a close ranged attack, Alpha Strikemon simply side stepped it and knocked him back. A huge sphere shot towards Alpha Strikemon.

"Dark gaia force!" Black Wargreymon X had effectively used his friend as a living decoy and he hated himself for it. Alpha Strikemon used the back of his hand to send the sphere shooting off in another direction. Warrior Strikemon appeared from behind, his sword raised. His sword crashed through thing air as Alpha Strikemon vanished and reappeared behind him. One swift motion and Warrior Strikemon was sent crashing to the ground again. As Warrior Strikemon picked himself up, he looked at Black Wargreymon X.

" Destroy the gate, I'll hold him back." Black Wargreymon X took off, closely followed by Wargreymon. Warrior Strikemon charged his quickest attack, and let fly a small ball of lightning, easily destroying the gate. He turned to see his friends fighting the god. They were now stranded, out powered and could be outnumbered easily. With a flick of his wrist, lightning crashed down time after time, just missing Alpha Strikemon. He didn't have time to Digivolve now.

"Come on! Work you stupid thing!" Will examined the D-core in every possible way. He turned it, checked it, looked for any hidden symbols or lids. Nothing. He even searched his Digivice, tried to link them. Nothing. He couldn't even tap into his crest. He looked at where Tai and Trace were hidden to see they were doing the same thing. They had no back up weapon.

The three mega level Digimon zipped in and out , they had set up a routine. One would fly in , distract, another would attack and one would act as back up or cover. Warrior Strikemon flew in , Alpha Strikemon reacted too quickly.

"Advanced push." A single movement, and Warrior Strikemon's armour was blackened, cracked and dented as he plumetted towards the earth. He couldn't move. He couldn't feel anything. He watched on as his two friends were left to fight on their own. Wargreymon growled in pure anger , he never saw the attack coming. One of Alpha Strikemon's hands tore through Wargreymon's armour, letting him fall casually to the floor as his eyes went blank.

"Wargreymon!" Tai cried out in horror. Black Wargreymon X blocked as many attacks as possible, each one chipping away his armour. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't take much more. A few more hits an-crack. His eyes went wide. Alpha Strikemon had pierced his armour. Black Wargreymon X stumbled back. One more attack and in a burst of golden light, Black Wargreymon and Trace plumetted to the ground.

"Trace!" Both Will and Tai called out from beisde their partners. They watched as Black Wargreymon and Trace fell unconciously towards them. Alpha Strikemon extended his hand and clicked. A large green tear opened in the sky above them.

"Omega Strikemon. Warrior Strikemon. Go to Earth now. Create an army on your way. I have sent away our other forces on another assignment." The two nodded and rocketed off, through the tear in the sky. This was the end of their battle. Alpha Strikemon created a small white sphere in his hand and sent it rocketing down to the earth below.

"Shit." Will cursed quietly. He knew what it was. This was it. They had lost. Tai's eyes went wide, no it couldn't be happening. The leader of the worlds Digidestined couldn't be beaten here. Trace crashed into the ground ontop of Black Wargreymon. Black Wargreymon had adjusted himself to help Trace before passing out. His final thoughts were that of lost honour. A chance of never truly redeeming himself. The sphere impacted on the ground, silently and instantly it expanded, tearing away the entire red valley. When the light died down and the dust cleared. There was nothing left. Everything had been pushed away, torn apart and broken down into nothing but dust. Now, only a dark brown earthy crater was left. Alpha Strikemon looked back before entering the small green tear above him.

"You were never meant to do any of this." With a final look over his shoulder, he entered the tear as it closed.

* * *

"Gennai! Gennai!" A short boy with dark crusted brown hair tore into Gennai's office. No one moved, or was looking at each other. Izzy was staring at a wall, clenching his fists. His crisp white shirt had small wet marks. Alex Stone had put headphones in and was now blasting music directly to his brain. Gennai looked up slowly.

"What is it?" He asked slowly. There was nothing left, it was as if he had been broken in two.

"Their signals! Trace, Will and Tai! Gone!" The boy almost seemed shocked as no one made any movement on the shocking news.

"We are aware. We picked it up on Izzy's laptop just now." Gennai looked away, turning to his desk.

"What does that mean?" The young boy asked. In his mind, they had simply got lost.

"It means they failed."


	22. The night that is Knight

I apologise that this chapter is late, I also apologise it is short. However it's meant to be like that. Life is chaos...all I can say. Enjoy the chapter, hope you all enjoy it and review.

* * *

Leopardmon stood watching the sky. His eyes staring into the deep blue above him. Two different worlds but exactly the same sky. Different stars but all stars shone the same. Bright and beautiful. He had to wonder, how did it come to this? They had left children in their place to protect their domain in the Digital world. They're two strongest knights , defeated and missing. Alphamon and Omnimon. Clenching the hilt of his sword, he knew who to ask. Trace. It was his team after all, they were using to replenish their own numbers. That strange boy was connected to a Guardian and the Sovereigns. Leopardmon glanced at a nearby tree, would anyone noticed if he cut it down out of anger? The two people he needed to interograte and they were gone. A deadly quick turn of his wrist and the tree fell.

"So it's true then?" Leopardmon turned to face a young adult, long stylish blonde hair with deeply disturbing green eyes. Leopardmon studied his appearance quickly, well built, simple blue jeans, black walking boots and a black shirt with sleeves rolled up. He seemed harmless enough, but kept his hand to his sword none the less.

"And you are?" Leopardmon turned to face him completely. The fact this human acted so calmly meant one thing. Digidestined. Or something else.

"Why the name is Jack. Jack Knight." He said with a gleeful smile as his extended his arms and bowed his head slightly. Leopardmon tensed. During the secret war, Jack Knight was one of the agents for the darkness they were fighting against.

"So it is true then? That the mighty last true guardian and the brilliant pen dragon finally fell in battle?" There was a hint of cheer to his tone.

"What difference does it make to you? You're supposed to be dead yourself." Leopardmon lowered his shoulders, almost falling into an offensive stance. Jack took a step back with a shocked expression.

"Me? Dead! Oh heavens no! I survived. That wasn't nearly as glorious death as I would have liked." Jack stopped and his face took a darkly serious turn. "But, judging by how you acted. They are dead. So is that goggle wearing twit. Tai." Jack clapped his hands and smiled.

"Why does it matter? There are more opponents than just them." Leopardmon barely flinched, his eyes always keeping focus on the young adult.

"I wanted to fight them again. They were good fun, they beat me. But I never lose twice." Jack lowered his head and use one hand to rub his forehead.

"Are you working for Alpha Strikemon?" Leopardmon asked. He could see what Jack was doing here now.

"Oh will you relax? You wanted Will dead too. Now he is! Good grief." Jack stood up straight and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe I am." He winked at Leopardmon.

"So I should just kill you here then." Leopardmon grinned at the idea, one less enemy to worry about.

"But you won't" Jack waved a finger as he spoke sweetly "If it turns out I'm not with him, you killed an innocent and you won't risk that." Leopardmon cringed. Jack seemed more twisted than he had back in the secret war. Jack turned and began to walk away, his hands in his pockets.

"Toodles! See you in the battlefield." With a wave, Jack vanished into the tree line. Leopardmon stood and relaxed his grip on his sword. It wasn't much trouble, having one more enemy. What really bothered him, was where was his partner? During the secret war he had worked with a girl, what was she doing right now?

* * *

Darkness filtered into the far reaches of a room, nothing escaped it. The flicker of several monitors flooded the room with barely any light. A single young girl sat there, in the darkness, her eyes trained to the monitors. Her fingers typed madly at the keys, she was searching. Something. Anything. She wanted to help him. It was a makeshift office, built to fit dozens of computers.

"Any news, Gizmo?" Jack stalked silently into the room. His base. His property. The girl spun on her chair to face Jack, a blush slowlt forming across her pale face. Her soft amber eyes traced his older features. She subtly ran a hand through her soft plated brown hair.

"Uh.." She stammered at first before regaining her composure "No, nothing. Sorry." Jack frowned, nearly growling at her. He recruited her for her skills. Nothing else. Fear leapt into her eyes. He recognised this and slowly came over , getting down on knee infront of her, so they were face to face. Carefully, the gentle skin of his palm caressed her cheek.

"Don't worry my beauty, we shall find my enemies and you will have helped make our world a safer place." He spoke gently, fiercly passionate. False. Her eyes glittered, lost in the romantism of it all. She wanted to help him.

"There is one thing." Her eyes lit up, her memory of something she found.

"What? What is it? Only you could have found it!" Jack leant forward, holding her gently by the arms now. She blushed under the close contact.

"One of the Guardians. Blonde. He does a patrol around 2pm every day in the business sector." She blushed as she saw the passion grow in his eyes. Jack stood and checked his watch. He had time. He'd need to hurry. He stood quickly, a thought occured to him. He carefully leaned down, closing the distance quietly. His lips carefully brushing hers.

"Thank you for all your hard work. You're shaping a new world." He flashed her a false, brilliant smile. She sat there stunned, watching him walk impatiently from their small base. She quickly turned and returned to her work. Silently, Jack looked back into the room and rolled his eyes.

"So simple." He muttered to himself. He missed the competition his old partner had offered. Gizmo, was no Warrior.

* * *

A white coat flitered in the wind silently. A young man stood, his arms folded, allowing the wind to play with his messy blonde hair. He looked down at himself. He had a hole in his black jeans on his right knee. He had fallen earlier, caught himself on a pipe and ripped his clothing. Carefully he looked futher down, watching cars go by. He hated patrol. With a passion. Why did he have to rise up the ranks so quickly? His hands lingered on the small arm band wrapped around his left arm. An explosion shattered his train of thought. His eyes darted across the the next building, seeing his Digimon partner go down in a hail of bullets. His trained eyes caught the attacker. A tall standing wolf, covered in modern armour. A large cannon mounted on one arm, a small one on the other. Magna Garurumon. Something slender and solid was under his through as his head tilted back.

"Move and I'll hurt you." The voice was low and dangerous. The Gaurdian knew better and didn't move.

"Good boy. Now. Are you Willis?" The young Gaurdian blinked. What did this guy want with the second in command?

"N- No! I'm Sam Evans! Liutenant of third core!" Sam heard a low growl behind him and didn't move.

"Who are you watching over? And Don't lie. I know your system." The stranger had a calm, soft voice, edging on agression.

"Kari. Kari Kamiya." Sam's voice was shaky now.

"Why?" The stranger asked quietly.

"Gatomon's tail ring. It's powerful!" Something heavy struck his head and he fell to his knees, gasping for air. His vision was blurry. Another strike , and everything went black.

Jack wiped the end of the bat he used, his leather gloves creaking. He stared at the Gaurdian, a small pool of red was leaking onto the roof. He noticed now. He wasn't wearing the proper coat for a second in command. He had no sleeves and a black long sleeve top on underneath. A small brown badge was tied to his left arm. Liutenant uniform. Jack signalled to his partner who leapt over to the building he was on.

"We got the wrong blonde. But we may have caught something that could help us." Jack grinned, staring down at a cafe. There. He could see her. Kari. Across from her sat another boy. He squinted and the frowned. Syao.

"Alright then. We know what we're doing now." Jack and Magna Garururmon turned to leave. Jack turned back, looking at the injured Gaurdian.

"Is there anyone in that building over there?" Jack's voice was frustrated.

"No. They cleared out a long time ago." Jack nodded and trusted his partner. Magna Garurumon didn't damage buildings unless they were empty. Something he didn't understand.

"Launch a missle into the top floor. It'll bring every Gaurdian running. I don't kill in agression." Jack frowned and watch a single missle fly casually into the top of the other building. The two watched as the explosion and fire engulfed the building.

"They'll save him in time. Hopefully." Jack and Magna Garurumon finally left, leaving the Gaurdian and his Digimon partner badly injured.

* * *

Azulongmon tore through the Digital world. The great Digital sovereign was searching. He was searching for them. Weaker Digimon ran away, terrified in complete awe of him. As the blue dragon shot across miles, He needed to find them. The fallen Digidestined. He needed to see the wreckage of the battle. He travelled faster than most Digimon could ever dream of. His Digital saviours had fallen but he needed proof. He couldn't accept their loss in battle. He couldn't accept they were finally outmatched and killed in battle. He needed to see it. He needed to know, the three Digidestined who were considered royalty were still alive. He prayed. He hoped. Small strikes of thunder and lightning exploded across the Digital plains, as he tore through the world.


	23. No strength in numbers

Another short chapter, I'm sorry. Next couple should be longer but this and the last chapter are sort of catch up chapters for the other characters. Don't forget to submit a female Oc if you would like her to join the rest of the series involving Trace, Alex Dowski and Will.

I really hope the upload feature works...

I hope you all read,enjoy and review.

24/3/11

IT WORKS! THE UPLOAD FEATURE WORKS! I'M BACK BABY! WE'RE ALL BACK! WOOO!

My day just got so much better 31/3/11

* * *

Light filered in through the tiniest of windows. Books old and new,gathering dust lined the shelves as far as the eye could see. A large wooden antique desk sat useless in the dark. Except today, there was a young adult, dirty blond hair and a large white coat at the end of it. Willis, current second in command of Gaurdians. His arms folded, his eyes trained on the other blonde. Yamato Ishida, informal second in command of the Digidestined. He stood, arms folded, against a bookshelf. He placed his weight carefully, so he didn't knock it over. The two stared at each other.

"He's lucky to be alive." Willis said quietly. Matt closed his eyes and sighed. It had been two days since the attack of a Guardian ontop of a roof.

"So what do you suggest? This is obviously a Guardian matter." Matt's voice held a tone of frustration. He was meant to see Kari today.

"The strange thing is, Syao and Kari were near by in a cafe. The building nearby was blown up, but only the roof. Could someone be targeting them?" Willis had suggested this point a thousand times today in the space of an hour already.

"She's always been something differnt to other Digidestined. She's been sought after by the Dark Ocean and her crest had powers ours didn't. We never really looked into it, never needed to. Last I heard Ken and Izzy were researching it. I keep telling you. You deaf or something?" Matt ran a hand across his face.

"There must be something." Willis leaned forward.

"It's possible a Digimon just go into battle and injured them and it's a coincidence Kari and Syao were there." Matt's heart sank. He knew it was possible Willis was right, but he didn't want to admit it. He was meant to be looking after Kari. For Tai. His thoughts drifted, wondering what Tai was doing right now.

"I'm going to send some others to keep an eye on her." Willis stood and went to leave. Matt bolted forward after him.

"Like hell you will! I'll watch over her!" Matt grabbed his arm, causing Willis to turn and face him.

"What makes you think this is your choice?" Willis pulled back, causing Matt to lose his grip. Willis studied him, there was almost a cold blaze in his eyes.

"She's my best friends sister. I won't let anyone get to her. Syao will be there too. The younger team will be as well." Matt had to control his temper, telling the blonde he wished to burn his hair wouldn't help.

"The younger team are exhausted. They just returned from a messenger mission. Syao isn't sufficent and neither are you." Willis almost sneered before Matt's fist colided with his face.

"We've faced stuff you never will! The dark masters, David, Syao was sent to the west and underground! You just sat at a computer whilst we were all saving the Digital world!" Matt towered over the Guardian as he lay sprawled on the floor.

"We will handle our own problems." Matt carefully walked over the boy, his fists clenched.

* * *

Syao walked softly through the Kamiya apartment. Kari was sat on the sofa, watching some news report about the incident from the days gone by. Syao placed a single glass of water infront of her before sitting down on the sofa next to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Kari turned her head and stared at his, their eyes locked for a second before she looked down at his shirt.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just don't understand why a Digimon would do that." Syao frowned at her, her voice was so much lighter than usual.

"What do you mean?" He was curious, her outlook was different to other Digidestined he had come across.

"Why did it blow up the building? There was no real reason for it, people could have been seriously hurt. Usually they just attack their targets and leave." Kari looked back to the tv as an image of the destroyed roof came onto the screen.

"I'm sure the others will have found it and got it out the city soon enough, but this is a war. Things are going to happen that we can't explain or prevent." Syao was speaking softly from experience, his voice grew heavier as memories came back to him.

"You saw the damage David and his group did, this is going to get worse." He finished in a quiet tone. He saw the flicker of sadness in her soft chocolate eyes.

"But we're the good guys. We'll win." He flashed her a gentle smile and she smiled in return.

"Thank you, Syao." Kari leaned across and put her head on his shoulder. Syao only moved in the slightest , to make her more comfortable. They sat in silence, watching the news and anything else that may have come on tv.

* * *

Gennai's office door is a simple wooden door. It's one of the few remaining parts of his original house, before turning it into Gaurdian HQ. There's one sign on it that says "Gennai". Yet this door was more intimidating than any other. You could feel the fear eminating from it in waves. A young man stood on one side of the door, his fist raised ready to knock it, but he couldn't quite do it. He was young, around sixteen. He was a stark contrast to other Guardians in this part of the building. All he had were small traces of white. A white belt holding up his black jeans and a white waist coat, buttoned up over a black t-shirt. Mousy brown hair and fairly tanned skin. Nothing special about him. Yet here was was, summoned by Gennai. He banged his head with his fist several times before knocking on the door, grimmacing.

"Come in." He heard the faint voice of Gennai. The young boy walked in and shut the door.

"You understand we summoned you, Jesse. Yes?" Gennai spoke carefully. The young boys eyes darted to the older Gaurdian standing nearby, Alex Stone. He stood there, slacking yet over powering at the same time. He didn't say anything.

"Yes sir." Jesse said nothig more.

"Good. We have an issue to discuss." Gennai motioned for Jesse to sit and he did. Alex looked away.

"We have not shared this information with anyone. Only immediate people and we need you to keep it quiet." Gennai spoke slowly, a heavy tone taking over his voice. His age was showing through his young features.

"Yes sir." Jesse replied quietly. His palms were sweating furiously. Why were they telling him?

"Will has fallen in battle." A heavy silence fell in the small room. Jesse clung to the chair.

"What?" Jesse stopped breathing. Will was supposed to be unbeatable. He and Alex were seen as living legends.

"We would like you to be his replacement." Jesse sat there, his mouth agape. Alex's eyes watched the young boy. He hated Gennai at this very moment, more than ever before.

* * *

Momaru sat quietly on a park bench. A perfectly gentle breeze swept by. She watched as children ran by, as adults walked past. Life was still going on. No one really had any clue what was happening. She stared upwards into the sky, her eyes following the clouds. They had it so easy compared to humans. Humans had it easy compared to Digidestined. She laughed as realised she was referring to Digidestined as a seperate species. Her thoughts darkened. Elegon had been on a mission for quite some time. No word from him. Syao was always around Kari now. Will was in the digital world. Their make shift team had fallen apart quicker than it had been put together. They were all drifting helpless in the sea. Only the Gaurdians and original Digidestined even seemed to be allowed to help. She wasn't really going to let things be like that was she? No she wasn't. She knew that the building that was attacked was the result of a Digimon. Knowing their luck, it was something on the enemies side. She smiled slightly and stood. She knew what she was going to do now.

* * *

"You don't completely understand how this works do you?" Jack Knight stood proudly over two Gaurdians. He needed more information.

"I beat you and you tell me what I want to know." The two Gaurdians lay injured on the floor. One bleeding from the head, the other with a broken arm.

"Otherwise, bad things can happen to you." Magna Garurumon shofted the huge cannon on his right arm to emphasise.

"We're not going to help you!" One of the Gaurdians shouted. Jack had found them on top of the shopping centre. Low ranks. He walked over to one and kicked him across the face with a sickening crack. The Gaurdian passed out. The other boy, no older than seventeen watched on in despair.

"So are you going to tell me about Syao? Or not?" The Guardian froze. His partner's data littered the air. Something shifted in the air, knocking Magna Garurumon clean away onto another part of the roof. Jack turned and watched someone walk towards to him.

"You know , it's not nice to attack from behind." Jack muttered angerily. Elegon walked slowly towards him. They were close in height. He could take him. He hoped. Jack sneered.

"You really shouldn't attack those Gaurdians. They just try to help." Elegon spoke quietly, his accent shining through.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you? There's no strength in numbers." Jack removed his jacket and cracked his knuckles. An explosion of arrows ripped across the roof of the building as Celemon and Magna Garurumon engaged in a fierce battle.

"Why have you been following me boy?" Jack asked in a rough tone. Elegon marched towards him at a quicker pace.

"A request from Gennai." Elegon answered simply. Jack stopped and clapped his hands together.

"Ah so the fool finally acted! You must be Elegon! You can tell me what I want to know about Syao." Jack raced forward and Elegon braced himself before the two threw fists at each other.

Celemon avoided attack after attack gracefully but there no opening. Magna Garurumon leapt after the angel. In one swift move, Magna Garurumon was behind the angel.

"Game over, little angel." With one shot , Celemon was sent flying with the resulting explosion. Smoke and debris flew everywhere. Celemon crashed and bounced across the roof. A single attack. Celemon quickly tried to get up, pushing herself up before Magna Garurumon's foot crashed into her back forcing her down.

"Not one move." Magna Garurumon aimed his main, gigantic cannon on his arm at her head.

Jack moved in a flurry of movements and had knocked Elegon back several times. One, two, three punch to the ribs and an upper cut to the face, Elegon finally crashed to the floor.

"Unless you tell me about Syao right now, I'll delete your Digimon." There was no emotion to Jack's voice, just business. Elegon looked over, his right eye swelling and blood dripping from his lip. Celemon struggled to move. Elegon swore.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"


	24. A Plan In Motion, A Heart In Trouble

Oh baby don't tease me, the site's been working for more than day now. It's so gooooooood to upload again.

There is still a Female Oc competition for the female lead in the upcoming series, anyone can enter.

Thank you to Wolfsummoner who submitted a brilliant Oc for the contest, I think I'll end up using her anyway.

Go check out Etiger1995's story, "The next generation". I seriously reccomend this. It takes place 25 years after his first story "return of darkness" and my stories "Trial and error" and " Ride the lightning". Read at your own risk , there are spoilers for my story. It's no problem though, writing is about enterainment so who cares if a few silly spoilers are out here and there.

I hope everyone reads, enjoys and reviews!

I feel like dancing.

* * *

Gentle rain carelessly patted aganst a kitchen window,slowly falling from the gathered mild grey clouds. Steam from a kettle rose up, creating little droplets on the dark tiles before sliding down to the work top. Sora leaned against the dark work top and let the sound of the rain softly patting the window mixed with the boiling kettle lure her into a daze. Her eyes shut and head tilting back, threatening to carry her off into a sweet, luxurious day dream. There was something so strikingly familiar about this. The rain, the kettle, resting herself on the worktop, but something was missing. Something so vital that it left an grudging curiousity that ate away at her day dream.

"Since when did you drink tea? Thought you liked good ol' water?" Her eyes snapped open to the dark velveted voice of Matt who was standing near by with his arms folded. A faint smile threatening to pull his lips up. Sora smiled and turned to pull a mug towards her before throwing a teabag in.

"Well, me and Will went to this cafe and he bought me breakfast and he kind of insisted I try some. It was this really nice cafe down by the royal theatre. He paid for it and well, I kind of liked it. Been a little hooked since." Sora quietly emptied the kettles boiled water into her mug. She was grateful she wasn't facing Matt, as a faint violent blush spread across her cheeks. She put it down to the kitchen being very warm. Matt always liked a warm apartment. People got a little red when they were warm. At least, that was the mantra in her head. She felt Matt's body press up agains't her as his arms ensared her waist and pulled her into him. Smoothly, his softly kissed Sora's cheek before whispering in her ear,

"Cute mug." A chill raced down her spine as Matt softly whispered to her. His voice held so much power over every woman, especially her. A second chill ran down her spine when she realised what mug she had picked out. It had a plain white handle but the design was what hypnotised her. A perfect forest scene, with a little pink bird perched in a branch. As she turned the mug the view of two people sitting on a red and white checkered mat, on a picnic came into view. Will had bought it for her, after he introduced her to the wonders of a cup of a tea. The conversation she had with him when he gave it to her flashed into her mind.

It wasn't long after Will had returned from the Nightmare world and defeated David. Will and Sora stood in her mothers older, wooden kitchen. Will had always said it had a homely charm to it. He had just handed the mug to her and smiled as she stood there, unsure of what to say.

"Will I -" She stammered as Will cut her off.

"Shush. Everyone needs their own mug." Will smiled lightly. He was leaning against the counter, his arms folded. His eyes widened in shock as Sora set down the mug and then launched at him for a spine crushing hug. It was only thanks to Will's reflexes he developed it battle that he even caught her. He bent back awkwardly, the force from Sora coliding with him arching his spine. He winched a little, but smiled all the same as he held her close. The distinct smell of a summer beach wafted up from her hair. Will gently began to rock her and back and forth. Will's eyes snapped up as he saw Mrs. Takenouchi softly take something from a table nearby, she smiled at the two teens and smiled fondly. Will tensed awkwardly under Sora's mothers gaze. He was never good with family. He carefully lifted one hand and waved slowly. Mrs Takenouchi retreated to else where in the house, her dark floral purple kimono slightly sweeping the tradtional wooden floor. Sora pulled away, smiling brilliantly as she moved to flick the kettles switch so it started to boil the water inside. Sora lifted the mug and studied it.

"It's been so long since I've been on a picnic." She said softly. Will cocked an eyebrow.

" When was the last time you went on one?" He folded his arms once again, already missing the weight of her body against his. Sora turned to him and looked to her ceiling, trying to recall her last picnic.

"I think it was Tai's way of apologising for bursting my last soccer ball. Few years ago." Sora smiled devilishly at the memory.

"Soccer? Please! It's football!" Will grinned madly , knowing it would get a reaction.

"Oh you know it's soccer! You're just too stubborn to admit it!" Sora quickly darted over and poked Will exactly where she knew he was ticklish. He let out a little scream before leaping away towards the kettle, exactly as it boiled.

"Truce?" He offered with his hands up. Sora shook her head and nodded as Will began to make two cups of tea.

"You know, I've never been on a picnic." Will said it as plain as day as he dropped two tea bags into the seperate cups. Sora stood and planted her hands on her hips in shock.

"How can you never have had a picnic? Family day out? Dates?" Sora asked Will, expecting him to turn around. She knew he avoided those issues like the plague but she would force him to talk about them, and he was becomming more open to her a result. Will sighed lightly, knowing there was no way out of answering.

"Well last girl I dated, it ended horribly as she was a Dark Digidestined and it was the middle of the whole Gaurdian-DD conflict. As for family, well, we just didn't have time." Will said it as if he didn't mind, it was just how things went. As if it was set in stone he'd never have a picnic. Sora's wicked smile returned and quickly made her way over to Will and poked him in the same spot as before. This time he turned and stared at her in complete shock at a loss for words.

"In that case I'm taking you on a picnic this weekend before Tai kidnaps you on that roadtrip. No buts!" Sora turned and finished making the cups of tea Will had started. He stood there mouth agape , barely able to react. When he could finally move , he said only one thing and smiled.

"Deal."

"Maybe I should take you on a picnic sometime soon." Matt's voice snapped Sora from her pleasant memory. Sora said nothing before she turned and snaked her arms around his neck, crushing the collar of his shirt.

"Okay. Deal." She smiled at him, but it didn't feel right. Something was off, there was a charm missing from the moment. She hid it behind her smile and quickly leaned in for a soft kiss. She could already tell, this picnic wouldn't be as good as her picnic with Will.

* * *

Alex Dowski. The Guardian of the core. First Digidestined to become living data. He was essentially immortal and he couldn't age. It also meant he carried every memory with him for good. He had failed. As a result, another Digidestined had died. Lianne. The Guardian Will had trusted him to protect. He had shed his coat and now wandered the local park in Odaiba. He had survived the blast, simply because he was data. A scowl was plastered to his face. His eyes heavy and his head low. People moved out of his way on the prestine clean path. As far as he was concerned, he was nothing more than dirt right now. He had not only failed in his duty, he failed as a friend.

"Will you quit acting like that?" Alex stopped and looked up. Momaru.

"What?" He was dumbfounded. He stood upright, and placed his hands in his pockets.

"I get it. You're upset because you failed your mission to protect Lianne. But guess what, it's in the past and there's nothing you can do about it now." Momaru stood there, staring at him sharply.

"Exactly!" He threw his arms up into the air. "I failed! And because I failed, someone died!"

"You were fighting against Alpha Strikemon and his right hand man! Two of the strongest Digimon to have ever lived! They were in a war with the Sovereigns! Li knew she was going to die and decided to do something good before she died." Momaru said it in a very strong tone, hoping every word his Alex.

"I'm supposed to be able to help people with my Digivice! I couldn't do anything!" Momaru quickly stepped up to him and slapped him, leaving a red mark across his face. Neither of them said anything. Momaru was as shocked as Alex was, she never expected to do that herself. She quickly regained her composure.

"You can either help from here on out or you can just sulk around here like a little baby!" Alex stared at her, holding his face, his mouth agape. He slowly nodded.

* * *

Azulongmon hovered in the darkened digital skies. His gaze fell to the crater in the earth below. It was pure and utter destruction. Nothing was left. The crater was ivory white. Just here and there, he could see the odd tree or a bit of stone that used to be a gate. He already knew Alpha Strikemon didn't need any real gate, he could just create his own with a snap of his fingers. Azulongmon could do the same. He just lacked fingers. His eyes surveyed everything. He could see them. Their broken battered forms. Lifeless. He had arrived to the fight too late. He had missed the fight altogether. There, his eyes spotted something. The wildly bushy hair of Taichi Yagami Kamiya. It moved softly in the wind, but that was all that was visable. The rest of him was covered in debris from the battle. His blue shirt visable in gaps. A dark red substanced long since dried over the debris that covered his body.

There, to Tai's right. A hand was visable but it was disfigured, snapped into angles no normal hand could. Lieing a small distance away, a battered and broken Digivice. Only the grip and screen were left. It was bigger than a normal Digivice. Will's. What was left of it.

The Digimon were still in mostly a few pieces. Their data slowly shifting away with the wind. They were being deleted. Slowly. The attack Alpha Strikemon used knocked a Digimon into a coma and then slowly ate away at them. Slow and peaceful. Azulongmon had seen it far too many times. Alpha Strikemon wiped out armies at a time with that single attack. It wasn't as powerful now, only able to take down a handful of Digimon at a time now. It was deadly none the less. Azulongmon twisted through the sky, staring down.

He saw him finally. The twisted form next to the remains of Black Wargreymon. Just a twisted shape. Trace. The pen dragon. Black Wargreymon's armour was barely holding together. Everything was just melting away. Falling away in cracks and pieces. Azulongmon judged by the state of his armour, he was a few days late. When he originally arrived he just expected to see data twisting in the wind.

"Forgive me, my chosen children." Azulongmon remained motionless. Slowly, three of his cores floated softly to the ground. One for each child. It was his final gift. As the cores touched the ground, a brilliant white light filled the crater. His ancient eyes watched on. He vowed to never mess with nature or the Digital world itself. He had made it a rule, one Will and Trace had broken time and time again. He smiled softly, remembering the report he had from the royal knights of Trace and Will's exploits. The knights had been furious. Still were. Even Alex Dowski had joined in, extending the Digital world. Tai would simply join in when he could, strangely being the voice of reason trying to stop them. A single tear dropped from his ancient eyes into the brilliant white light. They were meant to do great things.

The brilliant light exploded, revealing the ground of the Digital world completely restore. Even the gate. He gave the fallen chosen one final look. They were restored, but lifeless. Data still trailed into the air. It hadn't worked. He was a god and for all the power he held, he couldn't bring them back. The clouds surrounding him in the digital sky turned a furious shade of black. Wind and rain began to fall in heavy sleets. Alpha Strikemon had been a problem since the formation of the Digital world and it was time to strike. Azulongmon let loose a primal, terrifying roar of pure anger. A violet portal opened in the clouds near him.

"To battle." He growled. It echoed for miles around him. It was time for him to move. He had chosen his course of action. He sent out the call to whoever would answer. He was going to move against Alpha Strikemon with his entire force and every ounce of power he still controlled.

* * *

Sora stretched, worn out from the day she spent with Matt. Since her mother was out of town again, she had decided she would stay at his. It had been nice. Sora turned and looked around the apartment. It was welcoming, if a little messy. She had given it her own female touch and it had turned into a somewhat clean apartment. T.k would visit often since he returned, his assignment with the messengers over. Apprantly, with Trace in battle , the entire younger team was needed to replace him to keep up with the work. T.k had said the experience was somewhat odd but couldn't go into much more detail.

Sora sat down softly on the red sofa and stared at the tv, the news scrolling across the screen. It was different to what she expected. Her and Matt had fallen into a basic routine that they would follow each day. It was comforting and safe. It was mundane. Her mind drifted to when Will had stayed with her, there was always something different each day. When he wasn't as clam or collected as he usually was, there was a side of him that loved to make jokes or just do something outragous. He even arranged a surprise party with some of the other Digidestined for her birthday. There was always something. It was good. She wrapped her arms around herself. She missed those days. She missed him. She just couldn't admit it yet. The time Will had appeared in her living room and had told Sora to be quiet. He then proceeded to prank call Davis using a voice alterator he found online. Sora and Will had teased Davis for hours after the imfamous call. It didn't help Davis still hated Will. She missed his wild grin. It wasn't like Tai's lop sided grin or Matt's cool smile. It was just wild and you knew something was going to happen.

Sora leaned her head back, letting it rest on the sofa. A thought had crossed her mind a long time ago. A theory as to why her and Will could get on so well. He was a Digidestined reserve for Love and Friendship. That meant he met both requirements. Essentially a mix of Sora and Matt. A wave of complete terror swept over her. She didn't want her relationship with Will to be based on an atreficial idea of attributes and compatibility. A wave of guilt instantly washed over her and she shook her head and tried to shut her eyes even more to push away the idea. Her and Will got on simply because they were good friends. That's all it was. Wasn't it? There was always something, some small little bit that hinted that maybe, just possibly, they connected on a higher level. More than friends? Her mind drifted. Like her and Matt? She felt her face redden at the mere suggestion from her niggling curiousity. A short rap of someone knocking on the apartment door saved her from her own thoughts. Quickly, she shot up, straightened up and headed for the door.

"Did you forget your keys again Matt? I mean seriously that's just - " Sora froze as she opened the door. It wasn't Matt. Before her stood a tall older man, same styled blonde hair as Matt but shorter and cleaner. A perfectly kept black suit. In one arm was a battered old brown leather briefcase and in the other he held a hat close to his chest. He showed her a brilliantly warm smile.

"Ms Takenouchi I presume?" Sora was almost mesmorised by his voice. Velveted yet sharp at the same time. The type of voice that could set your soul ablaze and crush it in seconds at the same time.

"Uh - Yes. Who're you?" Sora stammered before regaining some form of composure.

"Ah how rude of me. My name is Jack Knight." With a swing of his arm, he gave a bow before Sora causing the girl to stand there bewildered. As he returned to a normal standing posistion, Sora noticed just how much he towered over her.

"You see, I have a little proposistion for you. " His velvety voice lead into a dangerously warm, enticing smile.

"A proposistion? For what?" It took a few seconds for Sora to register anything he said. There was something about him, that just made her want to listen to him talk and talk.

"You see" His eyes took on a dangerous glint, something that sent a terrifyingly slow chill down Sora's spine "I need you to be a good little girl, and play the role of damsal in distress." With that , he thrust his hat into her face, a sweet smell englufing her. Her whole word slipped away in seconds, his voice echoing in her mind for her last few precious seconds of counciousness.

"You don't really get a say in this."


	25. Return Of Darkness

Hola. Sorry about the wait for this chapter, life got busy and I needed a break from writing to be hoenst. I would have made this chapter longer but my heart just wasn't in it and I apologise. The key events are in this chapter but don't worry, the next few will be much better and much longer.

I'm still accepting female Oc's if anyone has any.

I hope you all read, enjoy and review.

* * *

Battered dark slimy green metal sheeting. Holes in the roof, allowing the intrusive rain insde. Dark grey menacing clouds lingered above. Weeds growing through the cracked concrete floor. Useless equipment left rusting in the corner, gathering dust, providing homes for spiders and other animals. The old,battered warehouse sat alone at the bottom of Odaiba's pier. This was where Jack had said to meet.

Matt marched to the middle of the building, Kari closely by his side. Those were Jack's conditions he mentioned in the phone call to Matt earlier that day. Bring Kari. Swap for Sora. Simple. No one else would expect him to do it but he had. He'd grabbed Kari, asked her to come and here they were. No Digimon were present. Jack stood across from them, one arm holding Sora near. Her hands were tied and he was holding her by the white rope tied tightly around her wrists. A small white cloth used as a gag too. Matt's eyes darkened with rage.

"So you're willing to do this?" Jack asked, his voice bounced off the broken walls. A sinister grin plastered on his face.

"Not like I have a choice." Matt said through grit teeth. He glanced at Kari out of the corner of his eye, she looked nervous. Jack laughed for a few seconds.

"You could be quite something you know. Something like me." Jack's eyes glittered dangerously.

"What do you want here?" Matt asked to the point, his voice bordering on the edge of anger. He needed to stay calm.

"Really? You couldn't figure that out?" Jack raised his free arm in mock shock "I'm working for Alpha Strikemon and I'm here to find Will and Trace. Didn't they tell you about moi?" Jack gestured towards himself and flashed a brilliant smile. Sora squirmed and aimed a stragetic kick at him. He easily avoided it.

"So you're a dark Digidestined." Matt shot back. He was well aware of the stories Will had told him on the road trip about the war against the Guardians.

"Don't lump me with those amateurs! I work independently!" Jack's expression instantly turned furious. Matt grinned but hid it when he saw Kari flinch from Jack's outburst. Jack quicly regained his composure with a quick smile.

"Shall we get this show on the road then?" Jack's voice was again,sickly sweet. Matt's heart stopped as Jack forced Sora to walk towards him. Matt gently placed his hand in the middle of Kari's back and pushed her forward gently. He quietly whispered to her.

"Don't worry. It's okay. We've a plan." Matt was careful, barely moving his lips.

"Just before you begin thinking your plan was going to go well, have a look at my latest trophies." Jack pulled two items from his pockets and threw them across the room. At the same time, Sora was yanked back slightly by Jack, who again had a firm hand on the rope. The two items landed just at the feet of Kari who choked back a scream. One was a small necklace, often worn by Elegon. The other, a white tiger design from Syao. Syao always wore it on some item of clothing.

"Elegon was a little quick to give in. Syao...well I let a friend of mine deal with him." Jack's lips pulled back into a chaotic smile. All his charm now replaced by malice. Matt said nothing but looked down. Jack let loose a manic laugh as Kari began to cry silently, holding onto the piece of cloth.

"Now!" Matt yelled, causing all eyes to turn to him, before he pulled a phone out of his pocket and yelled again,

"Do it now! Syao!" Jack stopped laughing as a blazing orange dragon tore through one of the walls , cutting the ware house is half. Metal and bricks were set ablaze in terrifying glory as the cold air from outside rushed into the ware house. A figure raced in and tackled Jack from the side , catching him off guard. The two figures began fighting furiously as Matt raced forward, jumping over a small patch of fire before reaching Sora. He didn't say a word and began to tear away her bonds. Jack quickly beat down the figure before racing for Matt. Matt turned to see the figure, Syao, tackling Jack again. The younger boy clearly holding his own even though he was supposed to just be a distraction. The roof rattled and shook violently as parts of the roof came down. Metal and debris falling everywhere.

"Everybody out now!" Matt yelled over the chaos as he took hold of Sora's now liberated hand and they raced out of the ware house. Kari quickly followed them, holding Syao's bloodied hand. All eyes turned to the sky as they saw what was cuasing the building to come down around them. Ignusmon and Magna Garurumon had began fighting practically on the building itself. Fire and bullets tore in every direction. The ground was charred and blown apart. Matt's eyes widened in horror as he saw a familiar shape on the floor nearby. He raced over to it,his heart hammering in his chest, trying to break free.

"Gabumon!" Gabumon turned and stared at Matt with tired eyes.

"Sorry Matt." Was all the small Digimon could say before passing into a deep sleep. Sora quickly joined Matt and crouched down next to him, her hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice heavy with concern.

"Metal Garurumon and Ignusmon were going to try and defeat Magna Garurumon so we could out number Jack. Just what type of Digimon is Magna Garurumon!" Matt turned to the sky, watching as Ignusmon took a point blank shot before colliding with the warehouse.

"He is a Digimon that should not be. A Digimon long forgotten yet brand new. He is something you cannot defeat." Matt watched on furiously as Jack walked slowly towards them. Fire roared into the sky, twisting and moving at an incresingly rapid rate. All eyes turned to watch as the flames danced across the nights sky, the twisting fire beginning to chase after it's target. Magna Garurumon leapt around, faster than anyone could keep track off, instantly jumping as he landed. Magna Garurumon never saw it coming. He crashed to the floor ablaze, before crashing into the trunk of a tree. Before any more damage could be done, Magana Garurumon leapt away, his armour slightly blackened.

"See? Not even a strong attack can stop him." Jack began to advance closer and closer. An explosion overhead sent Ignusmon crashing to the ground with Magna Garurumon pinning him down as the two engaged in hand to hand comabt. Ignusmon fighting to push him off. Syao watched on, worried for his partners safety.

"Still playing dirty Jack?" A confident American accent softly trailed over to them in the nights air. All eyes turned to the new comer. Hair as black as the night itself, short and spiky. Deep brown eyes. His hands tucked into the pockets of a leather coat. A black t-shirt covering his well built frame underneath. Baggy blue jeans following his every movement. He appeared to be around Jack and Will's age. Jack turned and scowled.

"So the traitor of darkness appears. Always a pleasure, Reaver." Matt watched Jack, something told him these two weren't friends.

"You're meant to be dead." Reaver said as plain as day as he walked over, quickly closing the distance so he stood between Jack and the others.

"As are you. Messenger." Jack sneered at him. Matt cocked an eyebrow. He remembered something about Trace being a messenger. Maybe they were connected? God he hoped so.

"Who are you?" Sora spoke up for the first time at the stranger, Reaver. He turned, barely acknowledging her. Jack sneered.

"This _boy_ is one of the head messengers. When the group was originally destroyed, he turned to darkness and we worked together. Till he betrayed us. Joining Trace and that rag tag team. Shame about him isn't it?" Reaver tensed. "But one question. Where is your Digimon?" Reaver relaxed and smiled as he pointed up. An explosion erupted , tearing away most of the building. There, admist the flames stood a tall Digimon. Dressed head to toe in leather. A purple mask sat comfortably on his face. A shot gun holstered to his leg. Bleezemon. Magna Garurumon crashed along the floor before flipping upright. Jack scowled.

"We'll resume this fight another time. We shall have our duel yet. Traitor." Magna Garurumon, in a flash, scooped Jack up and was gone from sight. Reaver sighed heavily. He hated that man. He'd arrive, destroy everything and leave as quickly as he could. Reaver turned to the Digidestined behind him.

"Someone please tell me where the hell is Trace?" His voice was rough and edgy. Clearly impatient.

"He's on a mission with Will and Tai. What do you want with him?" Sora was the only one to speak up. Syao moved closer , almost protectively.

"He's my partner and one of the head messengers." Reaver looked away almost uninterested in continuing the conversation. He sighed heavily again.

"That Will better not screw up. Can't trust those bloody Guardians for anything." Matt smiled, at least someone else disliked them as much as he did. Several explosions ripped across the top of the city, the floor rumbling. The group watched from the pier as some of their city went up in flames.

"What's going on!" Matt asked, his eyes horribly wide as he witnessed fire rise higher into the air. Reaver pulled out a pair of blue tinted glasses and carefully put them on.

"That" He nodded to the fires "Would be the beginning of Alpha Strikemon's invasion."


	26. The Valour Of The Digidestined

Hola! I was originally going to split this chapter up, but here we go. One big chapter. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up as I have a mock exam tomorrow and several assignments due in the enxt week. Also my final exam is in a month but I will try to update.

I have to say I've enjoyed writing this throughly.

Also, to keep people on their toes and to reward my loyal readers, I am going to give you some news. I am going to be writing a preview for a future story about the Welsh Digidestined and their adventure. It will be an Oc story but will feature one or two familiar characters. Please feel free to leave thoughts on this idea.

Myself, Etiger1995 and Alex Dowski are still looking for female Oc's to finish the rota of characters. Anyone can submit and everyone can submit more than one.

please check out Etiger1995 and Alex Dowski's works as they are very informative and addictive and go alongside my own stories.

Onwards with the story!

I hope you all read, enjoy and review.

* * *

Today would be the day people would say "Where were you when fire rained from the sky?"

The attack had come from no where. Hundreds of strange grey Digimon attacked anything in site. They started with power stations,police stations, fire stations. No one was expecting it. Any Digidestined nearby responded in one or three ways. They were standing ready to fight back. They were confussed, unsure of what to do. Or they ran. Fire raged from many buildings and smoke billowed in every direction. Hundreds of people were running on the streets trying to escape the chaos. Grey humanoid Digimon poured out of a Digital gate hugh up in the sky, hidden behind clouds. Every Digimon could sense it though. One sped towards it, rocketing through the air. His red and white armour glittering in the nightsky. His lance cut through the grey figures with ease as they fell from the sky. His eyes watched from behind his visor as varations of the grey creatures fell towards the earth. Some were humanoid, others were taller and heavily built, some were shaped like large birds. No difference to him, he cut through them all. His eyes widened in shock as a grey creature the size of a building dropped from behind the clouds towards him. He paused in the air and raised his lance.

"Lightning joust!" A tremendous stream of lightning cut through the sky, tearing the creature apart as it fell apart in two directions away from him. Nothing was going to stop him reaching the gate. He would not fail. His partner was depending on him. He is a royal knight. Gallantmon.

* * *

Izzy raced around the room,readying several laptops. Each one running different communication programs. He raced to one specific one. His old yellow and white battered laptop.

"Matt? Matt come in!" The signal from the digital world wasn't brilliant but it would have to do. No reply. He cursed. He brought up another window on the same laptop.

"Davis? T.k? Ken? Someone!" He punched the desk with his fist as sweat trailed down his forehead. People needed help and he couldn't do anything.

"Izzy? Izzy is that you? What the hell's going on?" T.k's voice rang out from the laptop.

"T.k? Yes! It's Alpha Strikemon , he's attacking. I need you to inform the others to split your team. Half go to Odaiba centeral hopistal and protect it. People there need help!" Izzy's voice was breaking from strain.

"What about the rest of the team?" T.k asked as wind bellowed from his end, nearly making it impossible for Izzy to understand.

"Protect the city and help anyone they can! Tell the others! I'll try to get through to them!" Izzy immedietly shut off communications. Izzy let his head sink as he rubbed at his eyes. He should be out there. Fighting with his friends. Fighting for his city. No. This was where he was needed. This is where he could fight. After all, he could go there later. He went back to typing furiously.

* * *

A figure in pure white raced down a war torn street. Street signs fell as the figure raced past. Strangers, innocent victims raced in the opposite direction only stopping to glance at the figure. Slowly as the crowd thinned out, he saw why. Hundreds of grey figures churning up the city, advancing on it's prey. He could see, everything behind them was burning, as they laid waste to the city. Were they searching for something? Prehaps hunting a specific person? Several of the grey figures swarmed towards he. Acting quickly, he leapt the top of a small bench before landing the otherside. There were too many now to escape from. He simply stopped and let his hands fall to his side. He grinned, confident in what would happen next. Shards of ice rained down from the sky, ripping through the meak flesh of the grey creatures as they impaled the concrete. Bits of data floated away , now meaningless. NeoFlamedramon landed on the ground and with a few percise movements, he had cleared a circle around himself and the figure. The swarm watched them intently. The figure ran a hand through his hair, sighed heavily and stepped forward.

"I am Alex Dowski. The Digidestined of Life. You have harmed the residents of this city, for that I will not let you pass." The grey fake Digimon seemed to stop and stare as if understanding who he was. The retreated a little, before grouping together in a tight mass. Merging slowly.

"Uh...Alex, no one said anything about them doing that." Neo and Alex both backed away as the mass transformed. Before them stood a lumbering figure, twice the height of any human. Black rings adorned it's rough grey skin. Its arms now shaped into long sharp points. The two looked at each other as the lumbering creature attempted to slam his new arm into them. Darting to the sides they avoided it narrowly. NeoFlamedramon leapt back and pulled back his wings.

"Ice glory!" Hundreds of deadly sharp frozen feathers shot towards the abomination. Alex could sense it. Hollow data. It was nothing. Just a body. Hundreds of feathers implanted themselves into the grey rough skin, barely bothering the beast. Alex leapt backwards , just incase he couldn't avoid being caught in a cross fire. The creature let loose a hollow howl. Alex stared and chuckled , causing NeoFlamedramon to look at him.

"It doesn't have a mouth." He said cockily. The creature charged forward , as NeoFlamedramon raced to meet it. The creature forced NeoFlamedramon down the street, NeoFlamedramon only just stopping it with his brute strength. NeoFlamedramon's hands burned a dark, misty blue.

"Frozen Cores!" The ctreature ignited in a blazing blue flame before slowly being turned into nothing but ice. NeoFlamedramon reered back and slammed his fist through the ice, destroying the creature. NeoFlamedramon leapt towards Alex and landed gracefully next to him.

"Think you could do that again?" Alex said as he pointed down the street, a large number of lumbering grey creatures advancing on them. NeoFlamedramon's fists ignited in a steely blue flame.

"Not a problem." The pair raced towards the small force. They weren't just fighting to protect the city. It was redemption. They had vowed never to fail again. With their hearts blazing full of determination, they charged onwards, into battle.

* * *

Purple toxic fire ripped through a building, tearing the insides out , striking a terrible wound. Glass and metal showered the ground below as the top floors collapsed. Furniture and computers spilled out, smoke billowing into the nights sky. Magna Garurumon thundered out of the smoke to land harshly ontop of another building. Not even waiting, he fired out several rounds of pure light into the smoke. He attempted to leap back, create more distance but he was too slow.

"Dark claw". A heavy rough voice cried out as Bleezemon tore out from the smoke, his hand outstretched ready to tear through Magna Garurumon. The blue cyber wolf managed to twist and avoid the lethal attack. The attack was only known to the best fighters among the Bleezemon. Able to kill anything in one strike. Magna Garurumon moved his left arm to fire off the cannon on his wrist as Bleezemon fell low and leapt to the opposite side, pulling the shotgun from the holster on his leg. The two shots missed and raced past the targets. Bleezemon's shot crashed into a metal beam in the already injured building with a heavy thud as another floor sank. At the same time, the pure white light blast from Magna Garurumon sailed across the sky. The two opposing Digimon quickly leapt to two new buildings, pushing their duel futher across the city. Down below, two Digidestined raced to keep up.

Reaver pushed himself , leaping over obstacles in the war torn part of the city. He and Bleezemon had travelled quickly into the battles, leaving Matt and his group behind. He needed to find Jack, not worry about them. Just ahead of him, emerging from a side street Jack took off up the street. Reaver took after him nearly catching up to him. He clutched too a steel pipe, which had become his only defense for the grey creatures. Reaver dropped it and lightly ran up a ruined desk before leaping from it, slamming his full body weight into Jack. The two quickly slammed into the floor. Reaver felt a kick to his right shoulder and grunted in pain before Jack leapt up and sent his foot into Reaver's face. Reaver reacted quickly,pushing himself up catching Jack by surprise. Reaver aimed a low punch into Jack's kidneys only for Jack to turn and grab his fist before slamming his knee into Reaver's chest. Reaver fell coughing and spluttering.

"Not bad messenger. But I'm still years ahead of you. Tell Alex Stone I said hi." He blew Reaver a kiss before racing off into the city, following his partner. Reaver swore and pushed himself up again, racing after Jack. Jack needed to be stopped. He was dangerous. Too dangerous. He had eluded Gaurdians and Messengers for years till he helped bring both groups down. Now, they nearly had him. He couldn't stop now. Reaver never let Jack leave his sight, as his chest burned with pain.

* * *

Fire raged in the sky as huge balls of fire raced to their target. Gallantmon turned in the sky, his cape cinged with holes. Too many near misses. He should be better than this. He is better than this. His opponent circled him. Firing off shots any chance he got. The red Warrior Strikemon. The fire weilder was defending the small green portal behind him. Creatures and Digimon had stopped pouring out of it as their battle began.

"Blazing tide!" The Warrior Strikemon swung his rapier in an arc as a massive wave of fire tore through the sky towards his opponent. To anyone below, the sky erupted into flame. A sea of reds and oranges raging for miles. The Warrior Strikemon stopped and held his rapier close. His eyes watched the wall of fire.

"It was easier to beat you than last time!" The Warrior Strikemon cried out. The memory of his battle with Ignusmon flashed in his mind and his anger soared. He shouldn't lose like that. A dot of black shout out the fire, a lance ready to strike. Gallantmon had flown right through the fire, his white armour now burnt and cinged. Warrior Strikemon didn't have time to react, as the lance pierced his left shoulder.

"Royal Joust!" Firing off the blast close ranger caused thunder to rain down amongst the fire. The sky erupted into a clash of the elements. Each fighting for dominance over the other. Warrior Strikemon slowly forced his rapier into the tiny space between the two battered and injured foes.

"Dark fire!" His rapier erupted in black flame as it englufed the two. A hollow laugh broke out as one figure dropped from the sky. Warrior Strikemon floated easily, his armour barely scratched but heavily burnt. He laughed, as he watched the now blackened Gallantmon plummit to the city below.

From below, Momaru had been watching the battle as the opponents dipped in and out of the clouds. Her heart sank as she watched her partner plummit from the sky. She knew she should have stopped him. Waited for backup then mounted a full offensive. She raced through the streets, hoping to get to where he was about to land. Why didn't she stop him? Why was Gallantmon was so stubborn? Then she knew exactly why. Because he had to be. He fought to protect others and he still did even as a partner Digimon. He didn't stop. He didn't falter. He never would.

"Gallantmon!" She watched as her partner slammed into the corner of the roof of one building before falling into a side alley. Her heart sang with relief as she Gallantmon slowly picking himself , he had used his shield to absorb most of the attacks and the fall.

"Don't touch me!" Momary backed away for a second as she saw steam rising off his armour. Small embers still igniting into black fire on his armour. He turned her and she knew that look. He was going back to fight. She nodded as he shakily took off into the air. He never gave up. Now neither could she.

* * *

Davis. The younger goggle head. Leader of the second team. Annoying fuzz ball to some. He leapt over a stone barrier at the entrance of the local hospital as someone came up to him. A familiar blonde.

"Where have you been?" T.k ducked as an explosion nearby shocked the people standing nearby. Davis looked around quickly and noticed it was just a handful of Digidestined.

"Doesn't matter right now T.S! What's going on?" Davis asked as he panted, trying to catch his breath. T.K looked around, catching sight of his partner Angemon. The tall humanoid angel Digimon. Grey helmet and a golden staff.

"Angemon! Try to hold them off for a little bit!" Angemon nodded and took off. Just beyond the entrance of the hospital stood a line of Digimon. Various levels and sizes. A rag tag group.

"Most of the Digidestined here don't want to fight. They're just trying to stay out of the fight. A few have decided to help defend this place. Too many people to move. There's just no end to it!" T.k ran both hands into his hair in frustration as he watched someone's Digimon burst into Data. Davis looked to where had come from. Digimon just advancing. Grey creatures as far as he could care to see. They needed to break up the force. Apprantly T.K had the same idea.

"Davis, do you think you could lead them away?" T.k asked as the windows in the office building nearby erupted showering the Digimon.

"Already ahead of you!" Davis Smirked as his small blue Digimon armour Digivolved. T.K and Davis shook hands and nodded. A rareity for them. Their way of saying "Come back safe." Davis hopped onto the back of his partner. Now a heavily black armoured Digimon with a large lightning bolt horn. Raidramon. The heavily armoured Digimon leapt over the barriers, driving a lightning bolt into the crowd, as he took off down the street.

"Come on you blobs! Catch me if you can!" Davis bellowed from the back of his partner. T.k turned to see his partner unleash his best attack.

"Hand of fate!" A beam of pure golden light shot into the ground, destroying entire lines of enemies at a single time as more than half chased after Davis. T.K froze for a moment.

"Get the barriers in place! Come on we need to secure this place!" T.k had never had the chance to be the leader. He was the most experience of the original Digidestined , but Davis was still leader of the younger Digidestined. Tai held overall control. T.K had just become an advisor to Davis. But right here, right now, he was in charge. He would make sure he protected everyone here. He was the Digidestined of Hope and he was going to show everyone, there was still a chance to win this.

* * *

A giant firey bird tore through the sky of Odaiba. Birdramon. Swarms of grey flying creatures tried to encircle the large bird. Birdramon sinply tucked her wings in and spun in the air, small flames shooting off catching anything too near.

"Wing Blaze!" Birdramon closed her wings around herself as numerous balls of fire jetted across the sky into their targets. The firey Digimon was out of practised, but she never missed a step when it counted. Down below, her partner followed her.

Sora and Matt were riding on the back of Garurumon. Jolting from side to side, avoiding wreckage and abandoned cars. Sora watched as her partner tore across the sky, dominating her realm. She brought down hundreds of simple flying grey creatures. She ducked and weaved beautifully avoiding attacks from almost every direction. Sora realised at that point, she hadn't been playing her part. She was a Digidestined. The others always fought. They were always willing to stand on the front line. Her heart sank as she realised, she hadn't pulled her weight. She vowed from this moment on, she'd fight alongside her friends again.

Garurumon didn't stop to ready his attack but instead let loose a torrent of blue flame.

"Ice wolf blast!" The attack encased several enemies in ice before the massive wolf leapt over them. Matt held on for dear life. Gabumon had been too injured to Digivolve any higher and was struggling with just being at the champion level. He had recieved a call from his brother, asking for help defending the hospital. Matt cursed. He should be there , leading the charge. Tai had entrusted him to look out for everyone.

"Garurumon, we gotta move faster! I know it hurts but you can do this!" Garurumon growled in agreement and pushed himself to go faster. His fur becomming nothing more than a blue blazing blur on the street. Birdramon followed him, becoming a firey blur in the already blazing sky.

* * *

Warrior Strikemon and Gallantmon clashed at lightning speed. All Gallantmon had left was his shield and half of his lance. Warrior Strikemon barely seemed to be affected. The battle had fallen lower in the sky. Just barely above the buildings.

"You won't win!" Warrior Strikemon cried out as a torrent of black flame raced to meet Gallantmon. Gallanmont twisted in the air, pain corsing through his body. He shot towards his opponent, lance and rapier meeting in a shower of sparks. The sound of churning metal echoing around.

"I will burn this city to the ground and dump the asses into the ocean when I'm finished with you." Warrior Strikemon growled. Gallantmon howled in rage and pushed the red knight back with brute strength.

"Dark flame!" Black flames englufed the sky in a huge tidal wave. Gallantmon burst through the attack, his shield bearing the brunt of the attack. Warrior Strikemon leapt back, his feet catching on the edges of a building causing him to topple backwards. His eyes widened in panic but it was too late to move. Gallantmon rammed what was left of his lance,once glorious, now just a jagged mess, through Warrior Strikemon. The red knight now lay, impaled to the building. The red knight struggled as Gallantmon rose into the sky. Each symbol on his sheild burst into life , moving around the shield like the numbers on a clock.

"I will defend this city till my death. Take a message to your lord. This city is protected!" Gallantmon's shield shone a brilliant blazing royal blue. A beam of raw energy shot into the knight, as he struggled to get free. Then he stopped and from under his helmet , he smiled viciously.

"You know, just because you defeat me, doesn't mean this is over. You think you can defend this city from a Sovereign?" Gallantmon readied his shield, a charge buidling all around the edges of his the cracked shield.

"I am not the only one defending this city. You're master will fail." And with his final words, a the shiled discharged the shot. Upon impact a pillar of burning blue and white rose into the sky, smoothering the fire and calming the sky. In seconds, the Strikemon and the building were gone, nothing but a crater in the floor was left. Gallantmon floated there, his shiled in pieces. His armour smouldering and blackened. His right arm had cracks all along to the shoulder, pieces of armour fell at the slightest touch revleaing the skin underneath. With an exhausted breath, he descended towards his partner. He looked as the sun rose and the portal sealed. The battle was over , but this wasn't the end.

* * *

"So they're going to evacuate?" Davis sat on the grassy bank near the hospital, a nurse tending to the wounds he had recieved. He and Raidramon had gotten shot out of the air in midjump. The nurse bandaged his leg and quickly made his way to someone else.

"Yeah. The army are coming in soon. It was on the radio. Some relief effort." Matt said hoarsly. The battle at the hospital hadn't been easy on him either. He had taken a hard blow to shoulder which he held ice too.

"What about us though? We're not leaving are we?" T.K asked. He was exhuasted, he wasn't as injured as the others but he had seen as much action in the night. Matt shook his head.

"No. We'll protect whoever stays and we'll cover those being evacuated. It means we're going to have sneak around the military though." Matt closed his eyes, letting the gentle morning breeze play with his hair.

"We're going to be like spys?" Davis asked, full of energy. Somehow, he was still as full of energy as ever. T.k and Matt both sighed heavily, deciding to let Davis enjoy the idea.

"It's going to be dangerous. Some Digidestined may not want to fight." Sora approached the group, voicing her opinion. Davis instantly went quiet. It hadn't occured to him some may not wish to fight. Matt and T.K nodded.

"Okay then. Those who don't wish to fight can cover those being evacuated and make sure they're safe. The rest of us stay." Matt frowned.

"It's not over is it?" Davis asked. A rare moment of sensible thinking. Everyone was aware he could make good decisions and was intelligent. It just rarely ever showed.

"No. Last report I read from Tai said there at least two head generals and the sovereign himself." Matt cursed silently. It was a daunting task as he realised, this had just been an advance force. The eastern half of the city had almost been completely destroyed even with the Digidestined defending it. Defending their homes .Something occured to him. Something he hadn't realised till now.

"Matt? Something wrong?" T.k asked, causing all eyes to go to Matt.

"Yeah. Where were the gaurdians?" No one had an answer.

* * *

In the Digital world, a battle raged nearby Gennai's mutated house, turned headquaters. Fire and ice and lightning tore through the forest. Trees fells and moutains raised into the air. It was as if hell had broken loss. It had been unexpected. Everyone had been called back to try to defend themsevles. Inside the headquaters, gaurdians rush around the entire building. Alex Stone had been seen leaping out a window to join the battle. Word had spread, Willis had returned with the Odaiba defense force.

Izzy typed furiously on his laptop, trying desperately to back up data. They needed this information. They needed the records and maps. They needed everything. Suddenly everything quiet. Izzy stopped and turned his head. At that moment, a cry rang out.

"Incoming!"


	27. The Last Stand

Oh yes, another update this quick. No you're not dreaming :P I've nothing really to say :P

Hope you all read, enjoy and review! XD

* * *

His ears were ringing. Something heavy was on top of him. He could feel a cool liquid running down his leg. He could still feel his legs, that was something. Izzy slowly pushed himself up, his balance was incredibly shaky. As his eyes came into focus, it was as if hell had just washed over everything. Sparks flew from broke equipment. Stone white marble beams had collapsed in haphazard patterns in the small office. A thought suddenly jolted him awake, more awake than he had been recently. Where was Tentomon? His partner, that strange red flying beatle? Izzy carefully crawled forward. Light barely traversed the small room now. He felt dust falling on him from every angle. Slowly, ignoring the pain in his leg, he pushed himself forward in search of his partner.

Alex Stone. A Digidestined with almost no equal. He was considered one of the best in the world. A Guardian. A rouge, when he felt like it. He'd been described as an unstoppable force. Like a force of nature. Unavoidable and pure chaos. Every Guardian thank their Gods he was on their side. He let out a manic laugh as he dodged a small blast of green fire.

"You didn't kill me last time, what makes you think you can now?" Alex righted himself and watched his opponent. Omega Strikemon. He had managed to draw a good amount of their forces and good fighters away to a large open clearing in the small forest. As he recalled, this was where he met Will for the last time. They had been assigned a mission in South Africa. He was sure Gennai was still mad at their idea of a solution. Another blast erupted near him, sending earth flying into the air , bombarding him on its way back down. Omega Strikemon stood and wiped his sickly green sword clean. Slash Angemon landed infront of Alex, one arm raised and ready to react.

"How you holding up? " Alex asked quietly enough so only his partner heard him.

"I'll be fine." Slash Angemon was panting a little. The D-core had really helped last time. Now they realised just how big the gap of power was.

"You failed to defeat me in our previous encounter." Omega Strikemon's voice was mocking, almost on the verge of laughter "Why do you think you can defeat me now?" Omega Strikemon had no time to react, Slash Angemon had leapt forward, swining his massive sword arm down on his foe. The green armoured angel leapt back, his wing barely being scratched before the two engaged in a lightning fast display of combat. Slash Angemon failed to catch an attack from behind in time as it sent him hurtling through the air towards Alex. Alex had learnt better than to catch this angel, his entire body was able to cut through steel and him with the wrong move. Alex watched as his partner quickly struck the ground with one sword arm to flip himself in the air and landed on his feet gracefully. Alex scowled.

"So we meet again, legendary Guardian!" The grand general Warrior Strikemon had appeared. His dark grey armour absorbing any light in the area. Alex could feel the eagle on his shoulder watching him. It was just a piece of armour, but it had terrified him in the past. Slash Angemon raised both arms. Two on one now. The two big hitters of the enemy army were here. Slash Angemon smirked, good, he had drawn their attention. Alex watched the crowd behind the two mega level Digimon grow in size. Had they been pushed back? He hoped so, but he knew better than to make assumptions in a battle. Oh how this reminded him of Europe. A small memory of the last war sprung to mind, Will had been held down at a posistion and no back up in sight. Will had acted as a spy back then, working behind enemy lines to sabotage them and fighting in the front line when it called. So Alex had intervened, of course he never took credit. He couldn't let the younger boy think he was watching over him. Of course, that was back when the Guardians had been first formed. Now, it was possible they could be wiped out after a single battle. A whistling sound grew louder and louder than nothing, and explosions tore apart the Digital earth. The two opponents dodged carefully, not that they needed too.

"It's not nice, picking on one Guardian." Alex turned and watched Willis walk towards him, his massive mega level Gargomon behind him. Several other captains had come as well, their partners at their highest level, armed to the teeth for battle. Willis stood next to Alex.

"You could have at least waited for us...or wear the correct uniform." Willis said with a bitter tone. Alex raised an eyebrow but said nothing at the younger boy. Willis leaned in close as the reinforcements rushed in to aid Slash Angemon.

"We're only here to distract them. Half of the Guardians are going to move to messenger headquaters to assist there incase of an attack. The other half are moving to Odaiba. Omega Strikemon and Warrior Strikemon intend to attack there straight after. We need to be there before them." Alex shook his head. He was going to take a force to Odaiba anyway.

"You shouldn't have left Odaiba in the first place." He practically growled at the blonde Guardian before turning his eyes to the battle.

* * *

It had been twenty three hours. Both the Digital World and the Real World had suffered. The city had been evacuated as fast as possible. Military uniforms barely roamed the street, choosing rather to control the city limits. The odd helicopter roamed the sky. The Digidestined who wished to leave had. They had watched over the normal citizens of the city. It was a ghost city now. Of course, the odd person had hidden somewhere, but it was almost impossible for them to be found. Here, in one of the few untouched buildings, sat the rag tag group of Digidestined. They barely numbered above thirty. The rest had left in their had approximated, the next attack would come either in twelve hours, or twenty four. It was nearing twenty four. Matt stood in the make shift battle room. It had been an old office block. They had pushed all the furniture back and out the windows to create room. Matt stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"I understand some of you don't wish to fight, and we won't make you. If you want too stay, stay. But if you wish you fight, defend your homes, fight against an enemy as old as the Digital world, then follow us." Matt nodded to Gabumon and quickly made his way to the door.

"How can we win? It's hopeless!" Someone cried out, breaking the silence. Matt stopped and turned. His eyes glancing around the entire room.

"I've been in so many hopeless situations. I was deleted in the Digital world but none of us gave up. We supported each other and we carried on fighting. We can't give up." Matt's eye ignited in a fierce blue.

"But why? We can just stay out of this. We can run!" One or two heads nodded in agreement. Matt balled his fists in rage.

"Becuase we're the Digidestined! We fight because it is the right thing to do! You can run if you want. But I'm going to fight. My friend are out there, fighting somewhere to try and help us. Gabumon is my best friend. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't try to help him when he's risked his life time and time again for me and my friends. I know for a fact, your partner has done the same for you." Matt left, leaving a room of quiet Digidestined. Soon, Sora, Davis and T.K followed. Those remaining turned to one another. No one dared to say a word. One person rose and ran after the small group, before another and another. They were choosing to fight. One by one.

* * *

Here they stood. There final battle ground. Spread out around the main road in the city. They were going to wait for the attack here. They knew it was coming. Mega and Ultimate level Digimon stood everywhere. The Digidestined stood shoulder to shoulder. A cold wind assaulted the small group. No one could muster any final words. No rousing speech. No plans. Just hope. In the air above the city, a large green doorway opened. Every heart sped and raced with pure fear as two armoured figures appeared in the sky. One dark green angel, Omega Strikemon. One, a dark grey knight, with decorated armour involving an eagle, Warrior Strikemon. They said nothing but everyone could feel their eyes, peering down at them. In their silence, the Digidestined agreed on one thing. This was a battle for their lives. There was no running now. This was their final stand. Matt moved to raise his arm, when a voice cried out.

"Don't think you're getting all the glory!" All eyes turned to see an advancing group of uniformed white. Alex Stone at the head. Just a small group, about the same size as theirs. White cloth and badges adorned their clothing. Injuries stood out. Cuts, brusies, sprains. Alex himself looked like he had been through hell, his clothes ripped and torn. Alex looked to the sky and shouted.

"The Digidestined don't stand alone, not today!" A cheer went up from the Guardians. The doorway expanded as the two armoured generals dropped to their knees. A black knight emerged. Bone white symbols adorned his pitch black armour. Alpha Strikemon. The Sixth Sovereign. Fear began to creep over the small force. This was a god. Undefeated in battle. Another figure emerged from nearby. Reaver. Closely followed by Bleezemon and another group. Messengers who had chosen to fight. The Guardians nodded , greeting them in silence. This was it. A small group of just around a hundred. There were no Guardians or Messengers, today, they were brothers in arms under the same name, the Digidestined. Something crackled behind them, some turned whilst others focussed on their enemies before them.

"Allow me to assit you this day, Digidestined. My friends will be joining us soon." Azulongmon. The azure dragon of the east. One of the true great five sovereigns. The dragon locked eyes with Alpha Strikemon. This was it. The lines were drawn. The fighters had been picked. The first move would come from chance. There was no room for error. Alpha Strikemon waved his hand , as Warrior Strikemon moved from the gate, hundreds upon thousands of grey creatures began pouring from the green doorway,his own personal army. It had begun. This was it, all or nothing.

* * *

Somewhere. Something was crying out.

Praying to be heard.

Somewhere far away.

Yet oh so very near.

_Come on. _

_Get up. _

_Move._

_Move!_

_Damn it! Move!_

_You can hear them can't you? They need you!_

_Are you going to abandon them now? Get up!_

_...Please get up..._


	28. Echoes

Oh hello there, yet another chapter. I've nothing to really annouce here. Makes a change doesn't it?:P

Remember, myself, Etiger1995, Alex Dowski are still looking for female Oc's. Anyone can submit. It only takes a few minutes to fill out the form in chapter 20. What have you got to lose?

I hope you all read, enjoy and review.

* * *

Darkness. It stretched in every direction. Ever lasting Darkness. It held a cold icy grip on your heart and it wouldn't let go. Like the jaws of a wolf ensared around it's prey. It wouldn't let go for anything. There was no past, present or future here. There was just black, stretching in every direction. The icy touch of claws ensaring themself all around had spread. It wouldn't be long till it completely and utterly overwhelmed everything. Then a rush of flames burned everything away and light invaded.

You could almost hear it. Those dying words. Words that had never been uttered. It rang out across the Digital world. Everything fallen comards had ever wanted to speak to their loved ones. The Digital world listened to their unspoken words. But one sentence was uttered from all of them. One echoe that spread to every corner.

_Get up. Fight! _

And those words somehow found their way back to their owner.

Everything came back in a rush. Air into his lungs. Colour spread into his eyes. His skin flushed back to life. He sat up like a rocket , coughing and hacking. Everything burned with a raging pain. He fell to his side, the feeling cool earth brushing his skin, caking it in a muddy layer. The feeling was heavenly, as if he hadn't felt anything in a long time. Something caught his eye, the cracked black armour of his partner.

"Black WarGreymon." Every word caught in Trace's throat. Each syllable burned a pattern into his throat as if he hadn't spoken for a while. Trace crawled forward , watching as data leaked out of his partner. Only one side of his helmet was left, the other broken, showing a disfigured and injured face.

"Trace." Black Wargreymon's voice was low and weak. Black Wargeymon couldn't move. The virus from the attack of Alpha Strikemon had spread too far.

"What happened?" Trace asked, his voice panicking. Black Wargreymon's only visable eye swung to view Trace. His eye was discoloured, not a shining gold it had once been. Now it was a murky brown, full of infection.

"We got beaten." Another voice said simply. Trace swung his head around, nearly crashing to the floor from the sudden movement. Taichi Yagami Kamiya. He was sitting near War Greymon's head. Trace noticed Warrior Strikemon laying upright in a horrific state he forced himself not too look at.

"Alpha Strikemon beat us." Tai's eye was hard and cold. Something didn't add in Trace's head but it didn't matter right now. Another coughing and spluttering sound echoed near them. Will was pushing himself up off the ground, wheezing and coughing.

"He didn't just beat us, he killed us." Tai and Trace turned to Will. Will rose to his knees and swung his body so he faced away from them. Away from Warrior Strikemon.

"Look at yourselves. Blood doesn't come from nothing." Will's voice was harsh. Tai stared down, his right leg was covered in a layer of blood. The light grey of his training track suit was soaked through. He tried to stop his thoughts from wandering to the crusty layer of dried blood on his head.

Trace looked himself over. His hands were smered in red. He didn't dare look anywhere else. Both Tai and Trace looked to Will's back out of curiousity. The back of his t-shirt was torn off, any visable skin on his back to his neck was caked in dried red.

"But why aren't we injured? Judging from the amount of blood, we should be dead!" Trace exclaimed. He and Will were used to getting injured and patching themselves up, but no amount of practise would help with this amount of blood.

"Azulongmon dropped his cores and revived us. We did die. Look at the area, it was devastated from what I remember. It looks better than I remember." Wargreymon's harsh voice broke and he couldn't say anymore.

"So what's happening to you? Why are you...fading?" Trace gave Black Wargreymon a panicked look as data still drfited slowly away.

"Even if Azulongmon is a god, I guess he couldn't stop Alpha Strikemon's virus." Tai looked down.

"Why did he bother? Alpha Strikemon killed us because we failed. We can't do anything now." Will's voice was harsh and definite. Trace looked at the older Digidestined and couldn't find the words. Warrior Strikemon spoke for the first time.

"So because you got beaten you're giving up? This isn't the Will I know. This isn't right for any of you! You can't just stop because it gets hard!" His voice was still the same. Soft but violent at the same time. He still didn't move. He couldn't. Trace looked at the blue knight. He had seen this Digimon stand up to impossible punishment, yet here he was, paralyzed. Tai laughed softly.

"He's right." Tai rose to his feet " I don't know about you two, but I'm going to fight." He turned to his partner and began to try and lift the heavily armoured warrior. War Greymon's armour groaned under the effort. War Greymon was easily taller than sevent foot and was heavily built. Trace watched on. Tai stopped and turned to Trace.

"What about you? Why are you giving up? Will's told me stories about how you fought Milleniumon. How even when you were nearly killed you didn't give up. Why were you fighting?" Tai's voice was taking a harder tone. Trace looked up at him. Why was he fighting? He shut his eyes.

"I was fighting because of the people back home. To protect them." Trace said softly. The image of the girl he loved flickering in his mind.

"Then why are you giving up! Even if it's hopless don't you want to fight for them? Even if we are defeated and killed, don't you want to die knowing you fought with everything you had! " Trace sat there and a memory filtered before him.

It was a soft sunny afternoon. He didn't get breaks often. Being a head messenger meant he got every other week off. Which he usually spent on school work and seeing Jessie. Someone incredibly important to him. He remembered staring into her eyes. Holding her hand. The way her soft cool skin ignited his in a blaze of passion. He remembered, he never wanted this moment to end.

"Come on. Time to hit the road. We got a world to save!" Alex Stone stood at the door with several bags ready. They lived in the same city, they had lived only a few roads apart. Apprantly Alex Stone and his father knew each other. Two of the originals. Trace watched the older, legendary Guardian glance upwards.

"Monsters, legends and hero's. Sounds like some little kids dream. Maybe it is! Oh conspiracy theory!" Trace vowed to never let Alex near his coffee stash again.

"I'll be back soon. I promise" Instantly, his lips met Jessies. Had savoured that moment with her everyday since arriving in the Shadow Kingdom.

"And you!" Tai's rant brought Trace back to reality. "Why are you fighting!" Tai turned his attention to Will.

"Aren't you supposed to be saving your friend?" Will knew why he was fighting. He had always known. It was his duty. His desitny. This is what the Digital world had chosen for him to do. But he had his own reason.

"I was...I'm fighting to save a friend." Will stopped and lowered his head "She's saved me time and time again." Will stopped dead in midsetence. It hurt too much to think about.

"Then why are you giving up?" Tai asked in a tone Will didn't take too. Will shot to his feet and grabbed Tai by what was left of the collar of his shirt.

"Do you know what it's like to fight every day? Do you? No you don't! You got four years of peace. Four years to relax and enjoy your life! Do you know what I was doing during that time? I was fighting!" Tai headbutted Will knocking the older boy back. Will stumbled and crashed into the earth.

"Ask yourself , if you didn't fight, who would? Who would save all those people? I've read the records of the teams you've worked with. I know about your time in that war in Europe! You've saved people!" With the blow to his head, Will watched the moment David fell into the void play out all over again and something he hadn't thought about in a long time.

Back in his original team no one ever gave up. Will held onto David's hand for dear life. In a recent battle, the final attack had knocked stumbling from the cliff. David had reached out and caught him. His hand was slipping.

"Come on! Pull yourself up!" David's sleeve was torn. Everyone knew David loved that coat. Will noted how angry h would be when he realised it was damaged. Nevermind he was dangling above a black abyss. Then someone else clambered over and grabbed onto him. Lianne.

"What are you doing? We agreed you and David would run! You're meant to find the others!" The other half of the team had gone missing the week before. They were supposed to be found. David and Lianne began pulling as much as possible.

"What if you fall? Who'll find them then!" David smirked , pulling harder. Lianne looked at Will with a stern expression and her voice reached him.

"Then we fall together!"

That day his two best friends had rescued him. Will laughed softly. What was he doing?

"Now come on! We have to fight with everything we have!" Trace pulled himself up, expecting Will to retailiate. Will slowly rose up, smiling. It was true he was fighting, but he was fighting for someone else. Not for duty. Not for destiny. Not right or wrong. But for her. His best friend. Somone who had saved his life. He was fighting for Lianne. Will nodded towards Tai. This was why Tai was the leader. He could bring them back from any situation.

"Now come on. A Digidestined. A Messenger. A Guardian. The three of us can win this!" The Digimon began to push themsevles up. Armoured groaned and creaked. Some broke even more. Their groans of pain rang around. Black Wargreymon got to one knee.

"If you fight, we fight." Black Wargreymon continued pushing himself up. Warrior Strikemon couldn't move his arms but he was making progress. His eyes flashed to their proud gold.

"We stand together. We're a team." Warrior Strikemon's chest guard shattered. The eyes in the head of the wolf lit up. War Greymon was almost standing. His left dramon killer impaled into the earth.

"And if you fall, we fall." The crest of courage embroided on his shield on his back glowed a dark orange. Something burned. Literally burned. Each of the Digidestined pull out the small white object they nearly killed themsevles to get. Their D-cores. The symbols burned brilliant in their respective colours. Their Digivices began to beep. Not just the normal three succesful rapid beats, but constantly. And three coloums of light burst into the sky from the Digivices as the D-cores activated.

A vibrant orange light rached upwards. The centre of it a blazing white. This was the power of courage. Courage that could ignite everyone in it's brilliant glow. Next to it, a column of dark blue with a never ending black centre. It raced alongside the courageous orange. The two were polar opposites but they united , side by side. The third coloum, a violent red with a soft lighter red centre with a blue tinge. The three lights merged together , creating a brilliant godly gold that continued to spread outwards as it enveloped the Digimon and Digidestined. Now the real fight began.


	29. Grabbing The Bull By The Horns

Holy moly. We've hit over 100 reviews. That is...insane. I'm literally at a loss of what to say to that other than thank you to everyone who's ever reviewed. My reward to the loyal readers, is this chapter a lot of people have been waiting for. I hope you all read, enjoy and review.

We're still waiting on your female Oc :P Get your enteries in!XD

* * *

The idea was simple. Digimon lower than ultimate level focus on the grey grotesque creatures. Ultimate and above focus on the deadlier targets. It was Yamato Ishida who had ordered that devision of forces. Alex Stone made a mental note, Matt wasn't just a pretty blonde. The ultimates and higher would push the deadlier high level enemies futher out from the centre of the city whilst the champions kept the grey creatures in the centre. Divide and conquer. If only it was as simple as that.

Omega Strikemon pulled his sword free from the body of a defeated opponent. He watched data floating away,allowing himself one second to feel the pride of doing his God's work. His eyes tracked the movement of his allies. They're real force had arrived. Real Digimon who supported his God. They were just a small handful, maybe several hundred. Omega Strikemon straightened his back, he knew their full forces would regroup soon. Armies were not built over night and old allies did not come out of hiding for much.

"Hey you! Wannabe leprachaun!" Omega Strikemon turned and saw a metal wolf barreling towards him. Metal Garurumon. Digimon partner of the leader of the Digidestined. Omega Strikemon laughed, he meant stand in leader of the Digidestined.

"Metal wolf snout!" Four dark crimson lazers blasted through the air from the giant metal wolf's snout. Omega Strikemon watched the four beams before swinging his emerald green sword into their path. The attack stopped dead and the green knight pushed himself forward in the air. Metal Garurumon never faltered and contiuned his charge. Omega Strikemon aimed a strike the neck of the wolf only for Metal Garurumon to twist out of the way. A golden metal flipped out on Metal Garururmon's back, the golden light slicing into Omega Strikemon's armour. The two raced away from each other and stared the other down.

"I played with your friend in the Digital world. War Greymon. He was a good opponent. But I think you'll be even better!" Omega Strikemon straightened and readied his sword, a clear black line of broken armour on his right side smoked heavily. Omega Strikemon was grinning. He was excited. It had been a long time since he was involved in a large scale battle like this. On such new territory as well! A way to test his skill. He'd have to be careful he didn't lose his head in this battle.

"Green fire" Omega Strikemon swung his sword, unleashing a wave of dark green fire towards his opponent. Metal Garurumon growled.

"Metal wolf claw!" Metal Garurumon raised his head as white misty cold air escaped his jaw. He threw his head forward, pure white blasts of artic wind and ice racing from his mouth. The white blasts of artic wind and ice burst through the fire all but turning it into a massive ice scuplture. Omega Strikemon barely moved in time, one his wings and his left foot were caught, instantly freezing over. Omega Strikemon stopped a safe distance away, flexing his limbs to break the ice. He watched as the now fully formed ice sculpture fell to the city below, crashing into buildings and crushing several grey creatures.

"Nearly killed some of your own there. Have to be careful." Omega Strikemon taunted the metal wolf, but Metal Garurumon knew better. The wolf raised his head and let loose an ear shattered howl. Omega Strikemon's vision blurred for a moment and before he could understand what was happening, the wolf made his move.

"Ice wolf claw!" Sections of Metal Garurumon's cyborg body opened up and a storm of endless missles raced towards their target . Omega Strikemon tucked in his wings dove down like a bullet , hoping to out last the missles. The missles simply turned and pursued him. Omega Strikemon raced into the city below ducking and diving between buildings. Missles exploded as he flew at a horrifing speed through small turns and alley ways. As Omega Strikemon turned into another alley, a wall of ice blocked his path. Several missles exploded into his back as his body colidded with the massive ice wall before falling to the concrete. He looked up through the smoke to see the metal wolf above him, his eyes a deadly red.

"Giga Missle!" As the metal wolf flipped in the air, his mid section opened and a dangerously huge missle shot forward. Omega Strikemon could do nothing. The explosion errupted and fire raged upwards, bringing down the two buildings and ice , burying Omega Strikemon in a hail of fire , ice and rubble. Metal Garurumon watched, waiting for the sight of data floating away, but instead a single green metalic feather raced into the sky. The sound of clapping made his heart skip a beat. Metal Garurumon turned to see Omega Strikemon standing on a roof top, his wings at full stretch.

"You beat one of my copies, impressive." The green feather snapped into place on his right wing. "Now lets see if you can beat me!" Omega Strikemon pulled out a single sword as Metal Garurumon growled.

* * *

Slash Angemon had said nothing. Simply choosing to tackle his opponent from the sky, knocking him onto the roof oa building, away from where he was creating his army. The silver Warrior Strikemon that had an eagle on his armour. Slash Angemon held his opponent down by applying pressure to one massive sword sword whilst aiming the other for the silver knights neck.

"Wind cutter!" Out of the corner of his eye, Slash Angemon saw something shot through the air. Flipping out of the way and landing gracefully, he watched as a long , deadly curved axe floated in the air. Warrior Strikemon picked himself up and quickly took the weapon in one hand.

"Looks like we get to finish what we started earlier." Warrior Strikemon lowered the axe as he put his other hand onto it. The soft leather of the grip felt right. He lurched forward, small trails of pure white streams of wind began to manifest around the blades edge. Slash Angemon held ready. Warrior Strikemon raced forward, the blade of the axe cutting through the roof of the building.

"Savage swing!" As Warrior Strikemon pulled the blade forward, the force of a tornado ripped across the roof of the building. Everything infront of him, including the next building was all but torn away by the force of the wind. Rubble and debris fell from the air, crashing into the earth below. Warrior Strikemon watched, and laughed.

"One attack!" He laughed harder. A kick to the head silenced him as he fell forward, dropping his axe. He crashed into the streets below. He barely moved in time, Slash Angemon's sword arm impaling the ground. Warrior Strikemon hurriedly moved away. Slash Angemon took after him, barely resting for a second. His entire body was a weapon. Every inch of it sharp enough to cut through steel. Warrior Strikemon reasoned, he couldn't be hurt if he couldn't be caught. Good thinking. Should have looked behind him. Alex Stone was weilding a solid metal pipe. A pipe he swung into the back of Warrior Strikemon's knee, causing him to tumble backwards.

"Now!" Alex called to his partner as he ran in the opposite direction.

"Holy espada!" Slash Angemon created an "X" with his sword arms, before cutting the air infront of him as he shot off a X shaped dark blue beam. It tore through the ground and through Warrior Strikemon. The blast carried Warrior Strikemon's body in the base of the building across the street. Slash Angemon didn't rest, he took off at a running pace before tucking his metal wings in and spinning at a break neck speed.

"Heavens ripper!" He shot blasted through the bottom floor of the building several times before skidded to a halt outside. He and Alex watched as the building collasped down on their opponent. Slash Angemon watched the rubble fall before raising a single sword arm. It was falling too quickly. The rubble began to race around in a circle, following an air current.

"Alex, run!" Alex Stone took note of the warning and raced away from the area. Bircks and broken furniture began to speed towards Slash Angemon as he blocked and cut through them. Eventually, enough of the rubble cleared. Warrior Strikemon stood upright , a big X cutting into his armour. The eyes of the eagle glowed gold. Slash Angemon began to become overwhelmed as everything shot into him even quicker. Eventually, he was blown backwards into the rubble of the half fallen building behind him. Warrior Strikemon advanced, his eyes never leaving the deadly sharp angle.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Warrior Strikemon pulled the sword from his side. He was the grand general for a reason and today he was going to show why. Slash Angemon stood and raised his sword arms and the two quickly raced at each other. Warrior Strikemon's blade moved at impossible speed,aided by the wind, as he slashed down on Slash Angemon. Slash Angemon brought up one arm to deflect the blow before moving closer to Warrior Strikemon's midsection and swinging his other arm with all the force he had. Slash Angemon's eyes widended as his sword arm grinded along the dark silver amour, barely leaving a scartch. Warrior Strikemon used his free to punch Slash Angemon in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. Warrior Strikemon seized the chance and thrust his sword into the angels side. He moved in , raising his left hand.

"Aero!" A blast of air threw Slash Angemon away into a pile of rubble. Warrior Strikemon continued to advance.

* * *

A black leather covered Digimon leapt from building to building as he brandished two shotguns. Rapid shots burst forward at a target. His opponent was just as fast. Just as deadly. Beelzemon loved every second of it. His opponent was a giant cyborg like wolf. Magna Garurumon. This Digimon annoyed him greatly. The wolf didn't have to call out of his attack, he could just fire it instanteously. A beam of light cut through the roof he was standing on.

"Coward!" Beelzemon called out. He ran towards the edge of the building and leapt. He crashed through the window of the building Magna Garurumon was standing on. Raising his guns to the ceiling, he began firing.

"Double impact!" Black blasts raced through the building crashing through the roof and shooting off into the sky. Silence. Hundreds and hundreds beams of light tore down through the building. Beelzemon swore, none of his attacks had hit. A beam of light burned his arm and he scowled. He couldn't take much more of this. He calculated he wasn't far from the roof and blasted through the ceilings, jumping up the levels. He burst up through the roof, grabbing the metal wolf by it's neck and fired point black. The wolf fell backwards in pain before firing off a shot point blank into Beelzemon. The two Digimon stumbled back in pain before glaring at each other. Magna Garurumon threw himself forward, his side blazed in pain, he threw a mighty punch into Beelzemon. Beelzemon's shotgun flew off the side of the building.

"Dark claw!" Instantly , Beelzemon's claws sharpened and his hand tore across the metal wolf's abdomen. The wolf howled in pain as he watched one of the guns fall from his wrist. Magana Garurumon fired another shot from his other wrist gun into Beelzemon's leg. The two Digimon stumbled back again. Beelzemon dropped to his knee in pain, whilst Magna Garurumon held his abdoment.

"Not bad." Beelzemon forced his words out. Manga Garurumon laughed.

"Equals. It's been a while since I've had such a good fight." Magna Garurumon had to force his words out too. The two stared at each other, a mutual honourable respect growing. They were enemies, but damn, it was fun to fight each other. They had been fighting for hours. They had sought out each other across the battle field. As much as Beelzemon hated to admit it, they were equal.

"One attack? Winner takes all?" The two had suggested at the same time. Both grinned eagerly before leaping away. Bleezemon readied himself, a dark light quickly transforming him. Two large black wings burst from his back and a large, deadly cannon formed on his right arm. Beelzemon watched Magna Garurumon take to the skies at the same he did, the two preparing their attacks.

On the street level, things were different. Reaver ducked under a punch and threw his own into Jack's ribs. Jack took the blow and inhaled sharply. He staggered back. Reaver was bleeding from the corner of his mouth and looked worn wasn't fairing well either but he could still stand straight.

"I've always wondered, why messengers and guardians are so willing to fight themsevles! Why are you so different?" Jack smirked. He had never liked the groups. So secretative, so unknown. He enjoyed fighting them all the same, even more when he brought them toppling down. He was the first person to beat Alex Stone in battle.

"We fight to stop people like you. Guardians fight to protect. Messengers, well we're messengers, but we need to know how to defend ourselves. Not that you're much of a threat!" Reaver spat back. More blood filled his mouth. An explosion erupted above them. The ground shook from the force, buildings crumbled under the very shockwave. Both Digidestined turn to see their partners falling to the floor. Their duel ended in a draw but the city felt the effects of their attacks as the sky lit up in a toneless grey.

* * *

An older man, wearing an offical army uniform paced back and forth in a room. The room was filled with computers, work stations and uniformed men rushing back and forth. A younger solider ran up the older general.

"What's the progress of operation Digital extraction?" The older general's voice was harsh but commanding. The younger solider didn't tremble.

"It won't be ready in time sir." The older general turned away. The younger solider turned to leave but stopped.

"Sir, why aren't we fighting in the city? I know this is a secret operation with these creatures but-" The older general turned and his icy cold eyes silenced the solider.

"In any situation, we allow the experts to handle the situation. We saw those...children with those creatures. We've seen them before, fighting. Protecting people. We must allow them to handle this untill we can move in with our operation , Digital Extraction." The older general held a pained expression the younger solider couldn't read.

"Do you trust them sir? Those people." The younger solider almost faltered with his words. The older general said nothing for a short few seconds.

"No. But they're the one's fighting. They fall, then we go in. Now get back to work." The general's voice was calm. He prayed for operation Digital Extraction to work.

* * *

Alpha Strikemon stood quietly above the city turned battle field. He watched buildings crumble, fire rage in the sky and ice plummit to the earth. All in all, he had to admit, it was almost equal battle on both sides. Almost. His careful eyes watched Omega Strikemon unleash a flurry of attacks at Metal Garurumon. Alpha Strikemon almost admired how Metal Garurumon weaved in and out of the attacks before twisting and launching a barrage of missles. How he hated this. This brutal form of communication where words became bludgened blows. Where an argument or intelligent debate turned into violent, deadly strategy. However, with the risk, came a thrill. The ectasy of battle. The thrill of winning. Fighting for what was right. His hand lingered above the hilt of his sword, he itched to draw it and race into battle. There was no need, his soliders could handle it. His eyes kept drifting to Metal Garurumon, almost entranced by how the metal wolf could move so gracefully and still find a chance to attack. He never relented. Alpha Strikemon made a mental note to see if he could recruit a Metal Garurumon. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched a young blonde cheer on the giant metal wolf. The Digidestined of Friendship. He remembered encountering the original bearer of friendship. Alpha Strikemon moved his shoulder, as if remembering a now faded scar being inflicted for the very first time. The original bearer of friendship had been a warrior, he wondered if this one was the same. The skies almost seemed to darken horribly, as an ice berg large enough to block out the sun crashed down onto Omega Strikemon. That answered his question, this bearer of friendship was definately a warrior. The skies remained dark. Barely moving to the side, a bolt of lightning tore past him.

"This ends today Alpha Strikemon. My patience with you has run out." Turning to the almighty voice, Alpha Strikemon watched as Azulongmon thundered towards him. The might blue dragon, chains entwined around his body moved at break neck speed towards the black knight. Alpha Strikemon refused to move, for now. He chose instead to pull free his sword. A red crackle almost seemed to race along the seeth, as the metal came free. Without warning, a red bolt of fierce lightning flashed towards Azulongmon. Azulongmon gracefully twisted, allowing the red blast to easily destroy the roof of a building below.

"If you wish to challenge me, I shall use our shared abilities." Alpha Strikemon's hands ignited in deadly red crackling lightning. Azulongmon barely even laughed.

"I am far superior to the likes of you!" Lightning again blasted forward at a terrifying quick rate. Alpha Strikemon raised his sword, blocking as many as possible till he had to tilt his head to avoid a crack of blue thunder. Alpha Strikemon raced forward, Azulongmon was horrified that he had forgotten how quick the knight was. Alpha Strikemon plunged an ignited fist into the body of Azulongmon. Azulongmon's body lit up with red lightning as if he was on fire, lightning spewing off into hundreds of directions. Azulongmon barely kept a straight through the pain.

"Lightning whip!" Azulongmon fired off his own at point blank range. A curved strip of lightning wrapped itself around Alpha Strikemon as he was sent flying backwards from the sudden attack. Alpha Strikemon colided with a large business building, his back tearing along glass as his body shattered the side of the structure. Several small beams of lightning impaled his shoulders, forcing his body to an abrupt stop. His body jerked from the wicked speed at such angles.

"Aurora force!" Lightning thundered down from the sky as if it was raining, focussing every last bit of force into one tiny concentrated force. Right into the impaled Alpha Strikemon. The very building was torn from the ground by it's roots. This was nature itself turning on Alpha Strikemon. Azulongmon watched with keen eyes. Metal and ash fell to the ground in a hail. He never saw the attack coming. A beam of pure concentrated wicked red lightning shot out from the chaos, crashing straight through the might sovereigns mask. It splintered and cracked as the dragon fell from the sky. He had just taken a direct hit. Something no Digimon has ever managed.

All eyes turned, friend and foe, to the sight of the mighty azure dragon falling. His body became weightless as it crashed to the floor.

* * *

"Azulongmon!" Cries of horror went up at the same time. Alex Stone leapt over a fallen lamp that had long since blown from the eletrical charge from the battle. He had to reach the dragon. Azulongmon had saved his life many a time. He couldn't forget that. When the sovereigns had wished to destroy him, Azulongmon fought for him. He knew Slash Angemon was still battling, but he could handle himself. Couldn't he? The greatest Digimon on their side had just fallen. It replayed in Alex's head. The striking red lightning piercing the mask of Azulongmon. Was their fight really at an end? If they're strongest ally had just fallen, what hope was there for them? No, he couldn't think like that. The Digidestined always won. Didn't they?

Matt raced through a deserted building. Azulong was their friend. Stumbling forward, he leapt over a fallen fence. His eyes glancing upwards to see Metal Garurumon being struck by the blunt side of Omega Strikemon's sword. Matt winced, choosing not too look. He knew his partner could fight. He knew Metal Garurumon could tear down Omega Strikemon. How Azulongmon lost? Had he lost? Was he terribly injured or was he just winded? He prayed the giant Digimon was just winded.

Sora had taken off, following Birdramon. Birdramon had announced she was going to drop the offensive on the grey creatures, choosing to inspect Azulongmon. Birdramon had spent the better half of the day terroising the army of grey imposter Digimon. Sora vaulted over a decapitated bench. She watched as Birdramon span in the air, crashing through a large defence of air born creatures. None of them could withstand her flames. Tears threatened to fall. The most powerful Digimon on their side had just fallen. How could they win this now? No. She cursed herself for losing hope. They could win this. They had too. She wished with everything she had, that the one person who would know what to do was there. She wished so hard he was next to her, fighting just as hard. He'd know what to do. He could send help throughout the city when it was needed. She had never wished so strongly as she had that moment, for him to be there, right at that moment.

A terrifying thunderous sound echoed across the city. In the dead centre of the city, a single golden line of light burst into life. It floated there, doing nothing. Quickly expanding in shape and size, burning away the ground like nothing but paper. Anyone who caught sight of it couldn't stare at it. It burned with the intensity of the sun and more. More lines drew themselves in mid air till they all joined. A wall of bricks, each with a precious golden outline. Every empty gap instantly filled with the colours of the rainbow as they joined. Building a wall. A solid wall of colours outlined in gold. The lines broke away, allowing the colour to fuse together in a blinding light strong enough to burn anything near by as it scarred the very earth itself. Azulongmon who lay near by watched on. At the sight of the golden light, he pushed himself from the earth and let loose a shout as he took to the skies once more.

"Keep fighting my friends!" His cry echoed in the city. The fused colour faded away, leaving a white light. Without warning, three golden figures emerge from the white doorway, bursting into the sky, their targets clear. What little light there was reflected off their armour,maybe even their very skin as they shot through the air. All eyes turned to the three new arrivals as they soared through the air, looking for something. Their targets. Three human figures raced out of the doorway. Their first steps on this worlds grass was welcomingly familiar for them. Their first footsteps in their home after several long weeks. Thats what they were fighting for. The three sped off into the city as the three golden figures located who they were after, blitzing around the sky.

Sometimes, just sometimes, wishes come true.


	30. Return Of The Allies

Oh yes, another chapter and it's a big one. I hope everyone is enjoying the story and the twists so far.

What do you people think so far? Any changes you could suggest?

Holy moly, after months of nothing, we got swamped with Female Oc's. I think we have everyone we need now, everyone will be credited. I'm not going to let slip anything about how they'll be used yet :P Should anyone who submitted a female Oc have anything they'd like to suggest, please let us (Alex Dowksi, Etiger1995, myself) know.

Next update should be soon :P Do people prefer the longer length of the chapters? Well, lets kick this one off.

Hope everyone who reads, enjoys and reviews!

* * *

The sky had darkened horribly. Black clouds rolled in casually, assuming their dominiance. What few city sky scrapers survived, shrank under the darkness. A low heat fell across the city. Comfortable more than awkward. Ice bergs seem to pierce into the black sky , juttering out of the city at random spots. One figure had barely moved the entire day. Alpha Strikemon floated casually near the centre of the city. He watched as Azulongmon pushed himself back into the air. He was injured, barely moving at his regular speed. Alpha Strikemon laughed, the so called invincible sovereign had been injured by him. The fallen sovereign. He hated the titles connected to himself. He watched as the golden light transformed into a door way and three figures shot into the city. Three figure he was sure he had killed. A small irking in his stomach told him, Azulongmon had something to do with that. A tiny trickle of relief ran through him. He flexed his right hand. He'd had enough of this. He wished for it to end. One move and it would be silent here in the human city. Just like when silence fell in his city. His anger spiked and he nearly growled. White misty light seemingly appearing from no where, began to spiral in his outstretched hand. A golden flash blitzed through the sky at him and something golden stretched out , nearly cutting through his hand. He pulled his hand back in shock and regained his composure as the golden light settled infront of him, not moving.

"I won't let you use that attack on the city." The light's voice was angry and filled with an emotion Alpha Strikemon hadn't felt in sometime. Determination. Pure and raw determination. The light began to die down as the light faded from the sky to reveal a golden Warrior Strikemon. His armour was perfectly mended. His mane flowed luxioursly and care free. His sword looked as if it could cut through anything. Alpha Strikemon stood, dazed for a second. The power of a D-core was truly a mystery. Alpha Strikemon smirked cruely.

"I see. You've activated a D-core but you haven't taken in the power. Why?" Alpha Strikemon rested his hand on his sword for the second time today.

"The power of this D-core serves a greater purpose." Warrior Strikemon said it simply as he raised his sword.

"I see you agree with my idea. The time for talk is over. Maybe we're not so different after all?" Alpha Strikemon laughed as Warrior Strikemon closed the distance and the two blades struck. The two remained in a dead lock. Alpha Strikemon noticed how much heavier Warrior Strikemon's blade seemed.

"You know, one day when you ascend to the super ultimate level. You'll be just like me. It's just a matter of time." Alpha Strikemon said it as plain as day. It was a fate all existing Warrior Strikemon shared. Warrior Strikemon pushed back the deadlock.

"Lightning strike!" Warrior Strikemon swung his sword in an arc at the black knight, a terrifyingly huge curved beam of lightning crashed into Alpha Strikemon. Alpha Strikemon grabbed the lightning with his bare hand and threw it to the city below. The battle was on. The two pushed forward, their swords moving at lightning speed. Warrior Strikemon aimed a precise blow to the shoulder, only for Alpha Strikemon to twist away. He counted on it. Warrior Strikemon's fist ignited in deep blue lightning as he slammed it into the side of the still moving Alpha Strikemon. Alpha Strikemon grinned as his fist slammed into Warrior Strikemon. The two pushed back from each other. They engaged again, this time Alpha Strikemon vanished and reappeared from behind Warrior Strikemon and thrust with his sword intent on impaling the golden Digimon. Warrior Strikemon turned at lightning speed, knocking away the attack with his own sword. Warrior Strikemon noted, Alpha Strikemon wasn't going all out. He was being played with. For now, he'd be able to keep up with the sixth sovereign, but he wouldn't last forever. Not like this.

* * *

A golden bullet raced across the blackened sky. He knew who he was after. He could see in the distance, Omega Strikemon clashing with a large metal wolf. The metal wolf seemed to have seen better days. The wofl quickly leapt out of the way, as the golden figure slammed into the green knight. Throwing out everything he could in the small space, the golden figure leapt back from Omega Strikemon.

"What in the name of Digi Hell are you?" Omega Strikemon's wings turned towards the golden figure, he held his sword ready and rested his hand on his second sword. Metal Garurumon growled quietly, unsure of the identity of the new combatant. The golden light began to fade, the figure taking it's true shape.

"You look beat up Metal Garurumon. This guy really giving you trouble?" The light died down, revealing a very similar Digimon. It looked exactly like a War Greymon except for a large rough looking tail. The dramon killers now gone, pulled back into gauntlets allowing free use of hands. Metal Garurumon's eyes widened at the huge sword he was carrying.

"Agumon?" Metal Garurumon breathed out in a ragged breath. The new Wargreymon leveled his sword at Omega Strikemon.

"I'm Victory Greymon now. The power of the D-core changed me. I'm stronger now. Strong enough to handle this clown." Metal Garurumon watched Victory Greymon hold the massive sword with a single hand. An almost impossible task for anyone. He noticed the armour held a darker orange tint to it than any normal Victory Greymon he'd seen. Which had only been one ion America. This Victory Greymon seemed deadlier. Somehow unbeatable.

"I'll handle him. You take a break." Victory Greymon raced forward, raising the collosal sword above his head and swinging it down on Omega Strikemon. Omega Strikemon braced the attack with both his swords. Omega Strikemon buckled, nearly falling to one knee.

"Feather bombardment!" Hundreds of emerald tipped feathers shot forward. Victory Greymon leapt back, swinging his sword in arc, catching most of the feathers. The feathers crumpled and fell from the sword. The two raced into battle, Omega Strikemon struggling to keep up with the speed of the assault from the massive weapon. Omega Strikemon ducked and weaved, choosing to strike when Victory Greymon would raise his weapon. Seconds later, Victory Greymon's leg armour was adorned with thin little black lines. Scartches from his opponents weapon. He didn't feel a thing. He was a tank and tanks didn't stop for anything. Omega Strikemon attacked in deperation, swinging his sword in an arc, a massive luminous green fireball. Victory Greymon smirked.

"Victory charge!" Victory Greymon swung his massive threee point sword in such a way, only an expert could even dream of copying it. In a flash of steel, the green fire ball was hurtling back at Omega Strikemon at terrifying speed. Omega Strikemon dodged his own attack, watching the fire ball fall to the city.

"Shame you weren't this powerful as Wargreymon." Omega Strikemon bent his wings, preparing for any attack. Victory Greymon said nothing, before breaking his sword into two parts. Now he had two blades, one with a single point, the other had two points. Quietly he equipped them to his gauntlets.

"What are you doing?" Omega Strikemon asked in shock. Why would anyone break their weapon? Victory Greymon raised his swords above his head and almost instantly, heat and wind gathered around the tips. Omega Strikemon backed away slowly. Metal Garurumon leapt away from the battle even more, the heat beginning to affect him. Omega Strikemon looked above the tips of the raised swords, it was the sky was twisting and concentrating itself in one tiny spot. The sky was getting darker. It wasn't just the sky, it was everything around them. Omega Strikemon backed away slowly, suddenly very afraid of this new found power. With the tiniest of sparks from hitting the swords together, the swords ignited in a terrifying display of power. Omega Strikemon turned and flew away, pushing his wings harder than ever before.

"Trident Gaia!" As Victory Greymon brought the swords down, a thunderous blast of energy shot from the tips of the swords and lit up the sky. A raging torrent of light burning the sky itself tore across the city, eroding the darkness itself. When the light returned to normal, there was no sign of Omega Strikemon. Victory Greymon slumped forward and a golden light enveloped him as he returned to a normal Wargreymon. Metal Garurumon stared at the familar crest of courage on Wargreymon's shield , on his back.

"Something's happened to Tai. The power broke off!" Wargreymon turned and looked across the city.

"What?" Metal Garurumon watched the large golden dragon warrior worry.

"The D-cores work off linking energy. My energy stopped all of a sudden, I only had just under half of what I normally have for that attack. Something broke the connection! Something's happened to Tai!" War Greymon caught a glimpse of something and took off. Metal Garurumon froze, that was Victory Greymon at half his normal strength? A chill ran down the wolf's spine as he followed his friend into the war torn battlefield of a city.

* * *

Warrior Strikemon pushed himself forward again. He'd lost one of his swords and his shield had been blown apart. His only remaining weapon was his sword.

"Lightning -" Before he could finish his attack, Alpha Strikemon raced in, slamming a solid fist into his midsection. Warrior Strikemon acted quickly, thrusting his sword into the black armour. Alpha Strikemon lurched forward and Warrior Strikemon took the chance and leapt away. Looking down, his mid section of golden armour was cracked. His armour was shattering. He couldn't activate the D-core , not yet. Alpha Strikemon stood up straight, and pulled the sword from his shoulder. He studied the sword.

"I once weilded a similar blade. Mine was white. See here? The code at the top? Mine had a badge. Translated to modern Digital code, it would have said , "The first Strikemon". Yours reads, "The lone wolf". Tell me. Are you afraid yet?" Alpha Strikemon tossed away the sword, letting it drop the ground.

"I've nothing to be afraid of." Warrior Strikemon's fist ignited in dark blue blazing lightning. Racing in, he aimed a barrage of attacks across Alpha Strikemon's body. Alpha Strikemon blocked the first attack, before slamming his fist into the same spot as last time. A horrific blast of red lightning passed through Warrior Strikemon's body. Warrior Strikemon went limp and all breath escaped his body. He stumbled backwards, his hand instantly reaching for his mid section, data floating away slowly. The stunning light in the wolf's head on his shoulder died out. Warrior Strikemon fell backwards and plummeted to the earth. Alpha Strikemon let his hand rest at his side as he watched the golden knight fall.

"A true Warrior Strikemon. Shame, he had to die."

* * *

Alex Stone leapt across another bench, swearing as half the street he was standing on was torn up and thrown at his parnter. That silver Warrior Strikemon was a big issue.

"Hey old man, you having trouble?" Alex Stone turned to see a familar figure running towards him. Trace. Alex Stopped and looked at the boy. He was supposed to be dead. He noticed the boy's clothes were torn, bloodied and muddy. He realised, the same thing had happened to him and Trace's father years ago, involving Baihumon.

"Of course not. Experience always wins the day!" An explosion sounded near by, as Slash Angemon crashed into another building before leaping out of the same hole, one sword arm raised. Metal echoed throughout the area, as Warrior Strikemon tore the street apart with his own attacks.

"Then you won't mind some help." Trace smirked, as a golden figure slammed the silver knight into the floor.

"What the hell is that?" Alex said as he backed up. Slash Angemon did the same, raising one sword arm in defense. Warrior Strikemon leapt away, surrounding himself with the three small twisters he had created. The golden light died down on the figure, revealing a Black Wargreymon in black heavy samurai gear with red trim, with two curved swords and a large flowing silver mane.

"My name is Gaiomon. The Digivolved version of Black Wargreymon. Warrior king." Alex stared at the Digimon before turning to his partner.

"I think you should stay out of this one Slash." Slash Angemon nodded. Both he and Alex had a run in with a Gaiomon years ago. It didn't end well. The Warrior Strikemon had the same look as Alex but he didn't back up. With a flick of his wrist, he sent one of the mini twisters rocketing towards Gaiomon. Gaiomon didn't hesitate and flew straight through the twister causing it to collapse in on itself.

"Fire cutter blade!" Gaiomon stretched out his two oddly shaped swords. Eerie blue lights beganto trail behind Gaiomon,in the swords path. He reached Warrior Strikemon in seconds, causing the knight to raise his only weapon. Warrior Strikemon pulled his two remaining twisters together in a cross shape to block the black dragon samurai. Gaiomon threw his brute strength behind a single sword as he crashed into the twisters. The crossed twisters couldn't hold and broke apart in a second. Gaimon swung his other sword in an arc, nearly catching the knight. More eerie blue trails lit up the sky. Warrior Strikemon leapt above Gaiomon and crashed into the street , his cape cut to shreds after crossing the blue light. As Warrior Strikemon turned, Gaimon's sword connection with his chest. Gaiomon was fast. Extremely fast. Within the space of several seconds, the silver Warrior Strikemon's armour was tarnished and breaking. Warrior Strikemon panicked and leapt away into the air. This time Gaiomon didn't move.

"Fire cutter attack!" He combined both blades at the hilt and a rush of air blasted by. Warrior Strikemon looked around him, hundreds and hundreds of eerie blue lights surrounded him.

"No! I'm not meant to lose!" Gaimon made one motion and the thousands of eerie blue lights converged in an instant into a large blue orb around the silver knight. The orb grew in size before shrinking and bursting apart. Data floated away into the sky casually, as the eagle decoration fell to the ground. It clattered onto the cement, chipped and scarred. Gaiomon crushed it with his barefoot.

"I've wanted to do that for a while." Gaiomon seperated his swords again, leeting them rest by his sides. Alex and Trace stood speechless. One of the strongest Digimon in the known history of the Digital world was destroyed in seconds.

"Now I wish I kept my D-core." Alex said breathlessly. Trace regained his composure.

"We need to find the others. No one should take Alpha Strikemon on alone." Everyone fell silent, as they watched Imperialdramon fighter mode rocket into the skys. The giant black Digimon, blood red wings and golden weaponry, sought out his opponent. Alpha Strikemon.

"Oh this can't be good." Alex muttered.

"They don't stand a chance!" Trace took off, quickly followed by the others. They needed to act and now.

* * *

"What hit me?" Tai sat up weakly, opening his eyes slowly. The slightest light burned his eyes as he sat up.

"Finally, you're awake." Tai stared over to see Matt crouched nearby , looking past a broken wall, or what he guessed to be the remains of a wall. Tai held his head , his hair matted in blood. He caught glimpses of Metal Garurumon and Wargreymon blocking the wall, defending them. Wargreymon impaled something and kicked it away.

"What happened?" Tai asked groggily. Matt made his way over and offered a half empty bottle of water.

"You were on your way somewhere and you got caught in a blast and ended up in here. The blast knocked you in here. I caught a glimpse of you flying through the air, was something else." Matt smirked.

"I call it falling with style. I was looking for you anyway." Tai felt a throbbing pain in his neck and head and winced as he titled his head back to drink.

"How long was I out for?" Tai asked, watching Metal Gaurumon let loose a breath of ice.

"Not long." Matt was distracted by something, his eyes fell on a giant looming shape.

"What is it?" Tai asked as he caught a glimpse of the looming mass.

"Imperaildramon. Alpha Strikemon beat him and Warrior Strikemon. We need something big and now." Matt stopped and went silent. Tai looked up and his eyes lit up.

"Omnimon!" They said at the same time. Matt suddenly looked down.

"Last time we had Omnimon, was the internet incident. We had our crests then and a lot of people backing us." Matt ran a hand across his chin, small hairs roughly scratching his hand.

"We have this." Tai pulled his small D-core from his pocket and held it up for Matt to see.

"Let's do it!" Both boys turned to see Wargreymon and Metal Garurumon take off into the skies. Both shone a brilliant gold, quickly forming into the arms of the giant white knight. The D-core began to glow and burn in Tai's hand, as the body of Omnimon formed between the two shapes. The golden light broke apart to reveal the head of metal Garururmon and the head of Wargreymon, a golden mass between them. In one brilliant flash of an otherworldly gold, a white knight was flying through the air. The knight was huge , tall enough to tower above buildings stacked together. A connon emerged from the blue wolf head on his right arm.

"Garuru cannon!" A hail of giant shots raced towards their target. Alpha Strikemon turned and was caught in the blast. The sky burned and fire and smoke engulfed everything. The power of Omnimon was truly terrifying.

"Transcendent sword!" A large blade emerged from the head of the Wargreymon on his other hand, with golden Digital code. He readied himself as the smoke began to clear. Alpha Strikemon stared upwards into the eyes of the white knight. Omnimon towered over Alpha Strikemon. The two faced off. Omnimon, the ultimate warrior of light. One of the few allowed to be a royal knight. The Digidestined's ultimate fighter. Alpha Strikemon. The origin of evil in the Digital world. A Digimon feared in myth and legend. A Digimon as old as the Digital world itself. Alpha Strikemon pulled both his blades free. He acknowledged Omnimon's strength as the two rushed at each other. Light and dark.

* * *

Will raced across the city. He was sure Warrior Strikemon had fallen nearby. Just above him he saw a large firey bird circling around him. Will took one moment to think and realised just who was nearby. Warrior Strikemon came first. Will clambered over a pile of rubble , watching the Birdramon unleash a torrent of flames against several flying foes. Will felt the heat of the attack from where he was as he stumbled down the rubble into a small crater. The whole area was destroyed. Will guessed it had been where one of Alpha Strikemon's stray attacks had hit. Warrior Strikemon was near the middle, on one knee. Warrior Strikemon tried to stand before crashing back to the earth. Bits of data floated away. Something caught his eye, as someone else scrambled towards the golden Digimon.

"Sora!" The two reached Warrior Strikemon at the same time. Will noticed her more now than ever before. Her athletic figure, firey auburn hair, caring brown eyes. Her soothing voice cut into his thoughts.

"Why is he gold?" Her voice was panicked and harsher as if she had been shouting all day. Birdramon let loose a torrent of flames nearby. Will turned and saw another enemy downed nearby them. At that moment he realised they had landed in the middle of an enemy encampement. The city lit up, one of Omnimon's attacks had hit home. The explosions were deafening.

"It's the D-core. We activated them, but he hasn't used the energy yet.I guess it's being stored but it's so much it's over loading his data and he's become gold now." Will's voice was breaking, his eyes had caught sight of the injury. Sora noticed him. He seemed taller, broader. He looked rougher, his hair was messy and unkept. He hadn't shaved for a while, a rough stubble beard adorned his face. The remains of messy bandaging covered his left shoulder. She wanted to reach out and make sure he was okay, that he wasn't in pain. She watched him winch when he moved his left side , how he would grit his teeth and his jaw would become rigid when he was in pain. His eyes were still caring and completely focussed. She rememebred them from the first time she met him. Focussed, dedicated to the mission, but embers of warmth and care pooled in the centre.

"Are you okay?" Will asked his partner, he reached out to place a hand on the wolf head. He couldn't touch it, it was impossibly hot, nearly burning him from getting too near.

"I'll live." Warrior Strikemon pushed himself up, the armour groaned and creeked. Shadows loomed nearby. Everyone turned and looked up, to see several armoured figures standing tall. The Royal Knights. Will's heart dropped. Warrior Strikemon couldn't fight and the others were holding off Alpha Strikemon's forces. They were alone. Duftmon approached them as the rest of the Knights stood at the edge of the crater. They had been silent in their approach. The tall brown lion knight towered over the trio. He said nothing. His eyes almost drilled into Will's skull. Will was sure at any moment, the knight would pull out his weapon.

"For today, we are allies. Tomorrow is a different story. Knights, move!" Duftmon and the other knights instantly took off into the sky, headed straight for Alpha Strikemon. No one said anything, as if just breathing would bring them back.

"I should go with them." Warrior Strikemon got to one knee and was almost standing. Will knew he was stubborn, almost as stubborn as he was. Almost.

"Are you sure?" Will stood and watched the golden knight nearly collapse. Warrior Strikemon turned and faced Will.

"We've been waiting for this for so long. Everything we have done for years has been leading to this battle. It's do or die. I choose to fight. We can do this." Warrior Strikemon stood at full height, his injury a terrible mess of gold and black fused together. The sky lit up in a terrifying white. The Royal Knights were falling, plummiting all across the city. Another bright flash and Omnimon was falling as well. Then it hit both Will and Warrior Strikemon. They were fighting for their own freedom, for their duty. Tai, Matt, Sora, the Royal Knights, the Guardians, the Messengers and plain own Digidestined, they were all fighting for something else. Something bigger than themselves. Their homes. The real world. The Digital world. Each other. Will looked to Warrior Strikemon.

"Knock him out the sky." Warrior Strikemon took to the sky , shakily. Slowly he regained his composure and rocketted up at his full speed, lightning gathering around him, slowly building up till he was truly terrifying force. The higher he got, the more Digimon that fell around him. Will watched on from the ground, quickly remembering why he needed a D-core. He turned to Sora and held his Digivice and the D-core in his hands.

"Where's Lianne? I have the D-core. I can help her!" Sora's heart just stopped. He didn't know. No one had told him. She gave the tiniest looks and cast her eyes down. Will knew her, and read exactly what she wanted him to know. He was too late. He had failed. Sora watched as his features twisted. She had always seen him as The Guardian. A proud protector. Almost like a guardian angel who watched over everyone. She watched all his honour wash out from his eyes, to be replaced with poision and bile. His expression , usually calm yet passionate, fell into a look of rage, or hate. Possibly a vile mixture of both. Will pressed a single button on his Digivice with his thumb, and a red square appeared on the screen. A crackling voice emerged from the Digivice.

"Synchronisation activated." Will turned to the sky, watching his partner rise past the falling knights and Omnimon. Now they had something personal to fight for. The memory of their friends. Mark. David. Lianne.

"Warrior Strikemon, Digivolve!" And as Warrior Strikemon burst into a mythical light, all hell broke loose.


	31. Day Of Wreckoning

This is easily the largest chapter I have ever written. I havent spent more or less all day on this. It's worth it. The story is coming very very close to an end now.

After a scare of nearly losing this document when my laptop shut down, I think I just gained about a hundred more grey hairs.

I would like to issue a challenge, for someone to draw Warrior Strikemon and Will :P Winner gets a very special prize :P

I hope you all read, enjoy and review! We're nearly there XD

* * *

Darkness stretched in a never ending blanket across the war torn landscape. Bone chilling winds crept up the spine of every living thing. The wind increased in strength, focussing around one golden figure, floating high in the sky. The savage force began to tear away anything not bolted down. Buildings caved under its supreme strength, bowing towards the golden figure. The clouds descended in obedience, creating a black dangerous orb, snuffing out the light. The winds didn't cease, instead getting quicker and rougher. Small objects became unavoidable bullets. Cars became swept up, gliding through the air. Buildings were cut in half, savaged by the now airborne bullets. Lightning crashed down into the city, carving a path in four directions. Brilliant dazzling white lightning raced towards the now floating black orb of swirling black terror. In seconds, the four pillar of unyielding lightning crashed into the black orb. A column of pure white lightning rose into the air, as if stretching into the heavens. A funnel of dark air rose up, engulfing the pillar in a tornado of unrivalled power. It was as if a god had lost his patience and wished to wipe the city from the earth. Impossibly, the golden light was still visible and growing, spreading. Battered, abandoned cars, torn sign posts, parts of buildings, brick work and rubble began to circle the twister in a single, perfect ring. In one second, everything exploded outwards leaving just a golden light. Everything crashed down into the city, as if bullets were raining down on the city. A single figure stood in the sky, as the light vanished. A tall god like knight stood calmly in the sky. Dark royal blue armour adorned his body. Dazzling gold Digital code printed across every space possible. A blood red sash tied around his waist and dangled loosely, carefully following the currents of the wind. Ten large golden wings spread out behind him each with a Digital core fused to an individual wing. A pure snow white mane ran down his back from his helmet and for the first time, he opened his golden eyes. Flexing the black chainmail beneath his armour, as if getting used to the new body, the godly figure watched Alpha Strikemon land near him.

"My name is Alpha Lightmon. The true super ultimate level of Warrior Strikemon. You are nothing more than an imposter." His voice was calm and majestic, but carried the heavy suffocating air of authority. His body tensed in rage, as Alpha Strikemon approached. Alpha Strikemon shed his black cloak revealing his true appearance.

Black menacing armour covered his body. Each piece looked heavy enough to withstand a nuclear missile. Dead grey Digital code ran along the armour, it was cracked in places, almost falling off with ancient age. The colour faded from the armour towards the chest and higher. Deathly pale white with splashes of grey spreading like an infection. His helmet was stark white with a blood red mane escaping from the back. It was broken and falling apart, torn and savaged over time. Eerie white eyes stared out from behind the helmet. Traces of gold littered the bone white eyes, from a time of justice long gone.

"Imposter? As you can see, our Digital appearances are very similar. I was born before you. I was formed before you even considered to be created. I Digivolved naturally to fight for my cause. You were simply created with a D-core. Now, tell me who the real imposter is?" Alpha Strikemon pulled free a single sword that's very presence seemed to darken the city once more. The same sickly grey Digital code flaked and fell from the sword.

"A single sword will not be enough to defeat the likes of me." Alpha Lightmon eye's narrowed as he prepared for the battle, drawing his sword at the same time. In a flash, the two were at each other. Moving faster than any human of Digital eye could track. The bangs of metal and crashing of armour on armour rang out across the city, deafening everyone near. The sky lit up in a flash of gold and black. One half of the sky seemed to radiate gold and purity, the pure snow white clouds mixing and pushing forward. The other half of the sky was dark and terrifyingly black, pulsating and swarming forward in protest. The two met in the middle where they swarmed and engulfed each other. As if the very battle of the God's was being fought by the sky itself.

Alpha Lightmon moved quicker than he had ever before in his life, he aimed precise blows in every possible direction to bring down the beast before him. His sword was fuelled by the hope of the Digidestined in this city. A sword as strong as that would not cave so easily. Alpha Lightmon twisted and dove down, bending in all ten of his glorious wings. His eyes fell to the fallen comrades below. He could Omnimon and Imperialdramon fighting to get up. It was almost ironic. The Digimon he had been given the duty of protecting were trying to get up to help him. No, it wasn't out of duty. For them, it was out of loyalty for their friendship. They were struggling to get up, pushing themselves to rise up and stand beside him. A blow to his left leg sent Alpha Strikemon spiralling near a building, only just managing to twist his body in time to avoid colliding with it. Alpha Lightmon twisted so he was flying backwards facing his foe. Alpha Lightmon had a reason to fight, for his friends and one very special friend in particular. He had formed a bond with someone special and he was going to unleash every ounce of his strength to protect. His leather coated hand ignited in a golden orb that fizzled and crackled with relentless possibilities.

"Majestic flash!" A raging torrent of golden lightning shot forward, its very existence burning anything near it. Alpha Strikemon barely moved in time, the attack grazing his shoulder. The damage was done however and he let loose an inhuman scream as the golden attack burned away at his skin having completely blasted through his armour. Alpha Strikemon snarled, giving into his rage and primal fury. He continued to hunt Alpha Lightmon through the city. Alpha Lightmon was the prey and he the hunter. He would not give up. This was turning into the best hunt of his life. No matter how many times he knocked him down he just continued getting back up. He hadn't had this much fun in generations! Even Azulongmon was too old now to keep up with this speed. It had been a long time since he set foot in this world and it had changed dramatically. It would make a nice new hunting ground. Something snapped. No, he couldn't just give into his instincts. He had to keep a clear mind. He had to remember why he was fighting. The reason he had been imprisoned. A voice rang out in his min. A sweet voice he hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Do the right thing." He had sworn to her. He promised her. This was his promise. There were Digimon relying on him. He had vowed to win no matter what. Energy built up inside him like a quiet storm, ready to burst at the seams. His sword ignited in a blood red fire.

"Red pyro blast!" Alpha Strikemon closed the distance and felt everything in the atmosphere around him gather into one focussed point. He discharged it point blank range, a huge force of red fire burned across Alpha Lightmon. The sheer force of the blast sent Alpha Lightmon hurtling back into a building. The attack cut down the building as it exploded apart. The attack kept going, no sign of Alpha Lightmon. The Digimon down below feared the worse. Had that one monstrous attack defeated him? More of the faded grey Digital code fell from Alpha Strikemon's armour. A voice rang out behind him.

"I told you, it would take more than just one sword to defeat me. Thousand swords of the sovereigns!" Alpha Strikemon turned to see Alpha Lightmon in one piece, his armour smoking. Alpha Lightmon raised his arms into the air as a blue light discharged in a ring outwards. Hundred and hundreds of pale blue swords came into existence around Alpha Lightmon, each floating in their own unique space near him.

"I will not let you live this day. You cannot win." Alpha Strikemon let loose the same attack, a huge curved pillar of blood soaked fire raced towards Alpha Lightmon. Alpha Lightmon chose not to move; instead he raised a single hand. Hundreds of swords raced to interlock together, forming a shield in front of Alpha Lightmon. The attack exploded on impact, sending fire and smoke in every direction. Silence once more filled the city.

"I shall win this day! Sovereign barrage!" Hundreds of pale blue swords shot out from the smoke, all aimed for the same target. Alpha Strikemon raced away, deflecting as many of the swords as possible. Some caught him, knocking his flight path in the wrong direction. He raced around the corner of a building, only to come face to face with a giant looming wall of blue swords. Had he set this up so fast? The wall of swords Slammed in Alpha Strikemon knocking him back against the building, impaling every inch of his sickly armour. He struggled to pull free but he was too slow. Alpha Lightmon appeared in front of the corrupted sovereign. Without a word, Alpha Lightmon plunged a sword into the midsection of Alpha Strikemon. They had finally landed a blow on the sixth sovereign.

* * *

Alex Dowski hurriedly wrapped the arm of an injured Digidestined in bandage. He leapt up and made his way to the door of the makeshift emergency room. He cringed, realising maybe he had done it too quickly, possibly hurting the Digidestined. The makeshift emergency room was, in truth, a large restaurant, minus the front walls of course. Alex joined another Digidestined at the front.

"How's it looking?" He asked in a calm voice. It was important he stayed calm. He'd been put in charge of defending this spot, making sure there was somewhere to fall back to.

"I'm not sure. Alpha Strikemon just took a blow, a really bad one. I can still see him struggling to break free." Syao, a fellow Digidestined from the western half of the Digital world. Possibly one of the strongest Digidestined right now. His partner Ignusmon was something to be feared. Syao had set up a trap to stop any enemy Digimon getting too near. Fire burst into the sky in a shock wave, wiping out anything that stepped on a certain spot. Ignusmon had laid explosive fire mines. Alex shut his eyes, the heat making his eyes water.

"They're coming." Syao stated simply. Since the silver Warrior Strikemon had been blown out of the sky, the grey creatures had gone nuts with no one to control them. They were now seeking out any Digidestined.

"Do we have a name for them yet?" Alex asked casually. He glanced backwards, everyone there had been bandaged and helped as much as possible. He hated referring to the grey nameless Digimon as just creatures.

"Well, I call them Gmon." Syao almost laughed. It was simple. He supposed they didn't really need a name but decided to make one anyway.

"I'll go this time. It's my turn to head out anyway." Alex unzipped his long white coat and threw it across a table. Syao nodded, Alex Stone was supposed to providing back up soon. Alex Dowski leapt over the remains of the front wall and was quickly joined by his partner.

"There are a lot more this time. Not just small one's but bigger, stronger ones." Neoflamedramon raced ahead of Alex. Alex weighed up the options. There was no avoiding it now.

"I guess you better Digivolve then." Alex said almost with delight. He knew his partner had missed some of his forms. A golden light enveloped Neoflamedramon.

"Ice master form!" As the light broke away, Neoflamedramon stood proud. He looked exactly like a Flamedramon but with white and gold armour. A group of large lumbering Gmon charged towards them. Neoflamedramon held up both hands and let loose a hail of ice bullets. They crashed into the line of huge Gmon. Alex grinned almost giddily. This was their moment, their purpose, to protect and help. Except there was no one to help them. Everyone was tied up else where. Alex looked around, noticing the deserted streets of the city. Everything was broken and scarred by the war brought down on this city. This was their last stand against the never ending army of Gmon. Buildings had been toppled and cut down in size. Homes destroyed and people forced to flee from something they didn't understand yet. NeoFlamedramon leapt away, slamming into a Gmon before plunging a fist into the grey flesh and exploded it from the inside out with ice. They had no idea if help was ever going to come, but this is where they stood. They were fighting for the injured. This was their last stand.

* * *

Alpha Lightmon pulled his sword out and immedietly leapt away. Something was wrong. Alpha Strikemon's eyes became blood shot. He looked feral and it terrified Alpha Lightmon. Savagly, Alpha Strikemon got one arm free by destroying the swords with brute strength. In seconds, he was free. Alpha Lightmon called back the swords as fast as possible to join the rest floating behind him. Alpha Strikemon remained with his back against the building. He raised a single fist, before slamming it against his chest. The sound was almost inhuman, flesh on steel. Again, and again it became a increasingly fast rhythm. Then he just stopped and he vanished. Alpha Lightmon was suddenly sent rocketing through the air. Twisting his body, he blocked a flurry of attacks from Alpha Strikemon. He kicked off the sickly grey knight and used his wings to create distance. Something from the corner of Alpha Lightmon's eye gave him a risky idea as he charged forward. He launched his own lightning fast attacks, Alpha Strikemon having no trouble keeping up. With a well placed kick ,Alpha Strikemon fell back , only to be captured once more in a hail of swords. Alpha Lightmon quickly leapt away as Alpha Strikemon began to fall slowly from the air.

"Garurumon cannon!" Omnimon unleashed an attack from the ground below. The resulting explosion leveled what was left of the nearby buildings. Alpha Lightmon tore through the sky, charging his body golden lightning.

"Sovereign lightning ride!" He shot straight into the giant cloud of dust and flying debris, and a straight line of gold trailed behind him as he slammed into Alpha Strikemon. The golden light rocketed into the ground and the impact was so thunderous it created a crater, scarring the city. Gold lightning discharged in a circle around the crater. Omnimon leveled his large cannon at the crater, expecting anything. The sound of metal being bent back and crunching rang out.

"Lightning discharge!" Red lightning exploded outwards , tearing through anything near and sending everything at the centre of the blast flying. Omnimon was sent through the bottom of a bottom as he managed to fire off final blast. The shot simply bounced off the red lightning and rocketed into the sky. Alpha Lightmon shot into the air, barely able to control his flight as his body crackled with red lightning. He barely escaped the main blast but he still felt it all the same. Alpha Lightmon floated in the air, staring down into the crater.

"You think that was enough to stop me?" Alpha Strikemon called out. Alpha Lightmon relaxed a little as the red lightning finally faded from him. Alpha Lightmon decided to take the chance and unleashed his own attack.

"Sovereigns sword storm!" With a single move, every single sword in the sky charged towards their target. The swords rained down on Alpha Strikemon like bullets from a machine gun. They whizzed through the air at a horrific pace. Ever sword hit home, littering the ground in thousands of swords. A small mound of swords indicated where Alpha Strikemon lay. The mound of swords seem to shudder before exploding in a dozen different directions. From the dust, Alpha Strikemon's voice rang out.

"Are you finished yet? I grow bored of you!" Alpha Strikemon took to the air again, ready to finish his hunt. He'd lost his patience.

* * *

Sora watched Birdramon circled above, clearing a path for herself and Will to make it back to the small base they had formed at a resturant. Matt had sent word to Alex Dowski, Alex Stone and Syao to hold it down and keep a tight guard. Sadly, Alex Stone had called Matt, informing him he was held down in another part of the city with Trace. Her throughts drifted to where Matt was now, he'd said something about going off to find Tai but never heard back. Sora looked around, they shouldn't be too far now, just around the next corner. She heard a groan behind and the sound of someone dropping to the floor. She turned and saw Will with an arm around his ribs , on one knee.

"What is it?" Her voice was full of concern. Will looked up at her and she nearly backed away. Nearly. His eyes weren't the same, something was off. They seemed duller , like the life was being drained. Will had been getting pains for a short while. Sometimes they were so bad he'd fall behind and simply drop to the floor or pass out.

"And don't give me any of that "It's nothing". I know you better than you think, Murphy!" Sora glared at him in a kind way. She needed to know what it was to help him. Their eyes met and Will's breathing slowly. She always relaxed him. He took a deep breath.

" As you know when Lightmon and I synchronise, it draws on my physical energy too. Lightmon going all the way to Alpha Lightmon is taking a lot out of me. He is a super ultimate after all. I'll be used to it soon, I promise." Will couldn't get the whole explanation out, stopping here and there to catch his breath between pained inhaling and excrutiating exhaling. He carefully pulled himself up, Sora pulling his weight onto her so he could stand.

"So did you miss me?" Will asked playfully as they turned the corner. Sora blushed and looked away from him to the resturant.

"More like did you miss me?" She asked in return. Will laughed.

"Sora Takenouchi acting all badass. Never thought I'd see the day!" Will said playfully, before cringing at another pain rising up in his stomach. He doubled over and was sick against the side of a building. Sora stayed with him till he stopped. She hated seeing him like this. Her eyes glanced ahead, they were there,it was just a matter of getting in. A huge wall of ice had been raised , stretching from the remains of a building straight down the street. Someone had sealed them in from that direction. Sora noticed Alex Dowksi sitting at the top of the impossibly high wall of ice, calling out to his partner on the other side. As soon as Will was able to move again, with more colour in his face, Birdramon landed and changed back to Biymon. The trio entered the remains of the resturant and Will quickly took one of the few intact chairs. Sora quickly made a path for the kitchen, in search of water. Will watched her move gracefully to the back, his eyes studying her desireable figure. Will's attention was sadly stolen.

"Is Lightmon okay?" Will looked over to the pink bird. He'd forgotten how well Lightmon and Biyomon had gotten on since they first met.

"He's doing well. You can ask him yourself once this is over." Will smiled as he watched Biyomon went silent at the idea of talking to Lightmon again. A surging pain raced across his head and Will placed his head in his hands trying not to scream. His body was quickly getting used to it, but not quick enough.

"You look like death." Will glanced up and saw Syao standing infront of him.

"Could say the same of you." Syao laughed, he had to admit, his own appearance lacked the look of life. Torn clothes, cuts, wounds, bandages in places and bruises forming.

"Good to have you back." Syao turned and headed out the resturant in the direction he and Sora had come from. Ignusmon followed him loyally. Will's thoughts turned to worry of his partner, as an explosion rang out. He had a clear view of the battle from where he was sitting and he watched as Alpha Lightmon was slammed through a building, from the roof to the bottom floor. His heart raced in worry untill he saw Alpha Lightmon emerge more or less unharmed.

* * *

Alpha Lightmon was breathing heavily. Both he and Alpha Strikemon were super ultimates. They were both meant to be equal in power. He had got good hits on Alpha Strikemon but it didn't slow him one bit. Alpha Strikemon was too exprienced to just be simply brought down. Alpha Lightmon dodged attack after attack, unable to find an opening. He'd taken too many hits now. His armour was scratched and chipped in the odd place. Alpha Strikemon was cinged, which caused Alpha Lightmon to breath a sigh of relief. He had one shot of brining Alpha Strikemon down, all he needed was time to set it up. Just a few seconds would do. As if answering his prayers, Azulongmon appeared seemingly from no where.

"We have unfinished business!" Azulongmon charged forward but it was useless. With two expert moves Alpha Strikemon sent Azulongmon crashing into the ground. He wasn't playing anymore, he was going all out and nothing would stop him now. Not the gods, or an imposter.

"It's time I skewered the winged beast!" Alpha Strikemon summoned a deadly red lance to his hand in a flash of red light.

"Not so fast!" Alpha Lightmon watched as Azulongmon collided with the building near where Omnimon lay and cringed when he heard the sickening crunch. Four of the Digital cores in Alpha Lightmon's wings detached and floated infront of him as he placed his open hands out infront of him. Each was a different shade of gold richer than the last. The four orbs began to spin rapidly infront of him. The four orbs seems to vanish in a golden light, leaving nothing but a cicular gate in front of Alpha Lightmon. Alpha Strikemon seemed to physically panic as the sight.

"Alpha Cannon!" The gate opened and let loose a horrendous blast of otherwordly energy. Blinding gold and searing hot white blast. This was the best shot he had. Alpha Lightmon shut his eyes , praying the blast engulfed his enemy. This was his strongest attack. It was fuelled by the combined hope of the Digidestined, the Messengers and the Guardians. This was all or nothing now. Eventually the light died down and the gate shut close with a dull thud and simply vanished, along with the four cores. Alpha Lightmon surveyed the scene before him. Everything in a direct line from the blast was gone. Not just destroyed or broken, but gone, removed from existence by the powerful attack. It was just an attack of complete and raw power.

"Wacth out!" Omnimon called out from below, but the warning came too late. Alpha Lightmon turned to catch a glimpse of his enemy. His armour was shattering as he moved. All of the Digital code was gone now, broken never to return. Half the armour on his left side was completely destroyed, revleaing only his dark black mutated pulsating flesh. Alpha Strikemon was suffering, but he wasn't giving up.

"Lightning lance!" Alpha Strikemon's voice was broken, as if he was choaking on his own bile. The lance shot out in a flash of red, impaling Alpha Lightmon through the shoulder. The force behind it was so much that Alpha Lightmon crashed to the ground below, his armour shattering around the lance. He crashed through the cement in a hail of debris and dust. Alpha Lightmon had crashed down near Omnimon, who had pulled himself free of the building.

"Garuru cannon!" Omnimon let loose a shot, which Alpha Strikemon easily avoided. Alpha Strikemon stared down at the defiant Digimon who ever now, were picking themselves up ready to fight him again. He watched as Alpha Lightmon pulled the blood red lance from his shoulder with great pain. His eyes surveyed the city, his allies were gone. No, one survived, barely clinging to life. His heart sank and his primal rage faded. With a wave of his hand, he felt his body almost collapse as he tore open a doorway to the Nightmare world. It was as if someone had peeled away the layer of an orange as a section of their reality vanished. Alpha Strikemon slowly floated backwards into the Nightmare world before vanishing from sight altogether, leaving the doorway open.

* * *

"How rude! Leaving that thing open! It's huge! Anything could come through it!" Biyomon complained about the doorway left behind by Alpha Strikemon. She was right, it was huge. It stretched from the ground to above the clouds. It showed a glimpse into the Nightmare world. Something they had all heard Will speak of in terror at one point or another. Just about everyone minus a few, had gathered at the makeshift base.

"So, what do we do now?" Matt asked as his ribs were bandaged. Tai was slumped against a wall , staring out towards the gate way.

"We could go after him." Tai suggested to the dark room. Sora and Alex Dowski rose at the same time.

"Have you seen yourselves? You're more bandage than human!" Sora almost screamed at Tai, who simply looked at her with tired eyes.

"You can't risk this, you'd be killed!" Alex chimmed in, he had also suffered his fair share of injuries today.

"Could we find a way to lock it down?" Momaru had since arrived after the battle. Her and Gallantmon had been forced into a battle near the sea front and were unable to get away from it in time.

"Or at worst we could create a perimeter around it." Momaru finished confidently. Stories had flooded in about how Gallantmon truly proved himself today. According to Leopardmon, stand in leader of the Royal knights, he would go down in legend for his actions as would his partner.

"Are the Royal Knights still here? They could watch it?" Syao had spent the day rescuing injured and protecting the base along with Alex Dowski and both had suffered for it. Several large scratches adorned his face. He was not the only injured one. Cody and T.k had apprantly been so badly injured they had to be rushed out of the city. Safe to say , Kari went with them. Rumours were that Reaver was also badly injured but was still fighting. No one knew exactly where he was now.

"They escorted Azulongmon back here to find Gennai to look for a way to shut it down." Izzy's voice crackled over the ancient computer. Izzy had been stuck in the Digital world when everything happened. He had since got in touch with the Digidestined. Izzy had to search for his partner admist a siege, which the Guardians had lost. Apprantly the destruction ranked on a similar level to Odaiba. Silence rang out in the small room, no one knew what to do. Only one person hadn't said anything.

"What do you think Will?" Tai asked, his voice carried out across the room. All heads turned to Will. Will looked past them, staring outside at the Digimon. Everyone had chosen to remain in their Mega levels, Super Ultimate in the case of Alpha Lightmon, just incase Alpha Strikemon returned.

"If we go to the Nightmare world, there are risks all of you could become infected by the same thing that eventually took over David. However, it's also possible that we would be there for a very short time compared to how long I was there for and be at no risk at all." Will ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes as he ran through the possibilties.

"Then let's go! We can finish this!" Davis stood up, with a clenched fist. Will instantly looked him dead in the eye with a look that silenced him. Ken who was leaning against a wall, spoke up.

"There's other risks aren't there?" Ken was annoyingly perceptive but Will liked that. He made a note to keep an eye on this Digidestined in future.

"Yes. There's a chance if we go through that we may become trapped there. So with that, it would make sense to stay here and seal it." Will felt Tai's eyes bore into him. They both knew they'd make the same decision.

"Word form Gennai says that's impossible." Izzy's voice crackled through once more. Communication through a Digi port was surprisingly hard. Silence fell on the group again.

"If we don't act, there's a chance Alpha Strikemon will rebuild himself and launch another attack. We can't prepare for that." Will said quietly, he could see every possibilty of offense and defense. Honestly, he didn't like either of the options. Both were too risky. Far too risky.

"So what do you want to do Will? This is your fight as much as it is ours now. You know the most about that place so we'll trust your judgement." Tai spoke up, everyone nodded in agreement with him. Will sighed heavily and took several long moments to weigh up the choices.

"I say we take the fight too him. Use our advantage." Several of the group rose, ready to act.

"Not without these you don't. You crazy boy." Everyone turned to see Alex Stone entering the building with a skip or two, closely followed by Trace with a large leather bag slung around his shoulder. No one knew what to say as Trace stepped forward and place the bag down on the table. Slowly he unzipped it for everyone to see what was inside.

"Sorry we're late, but we had to get these. Alex hid them in a building outside of the battle zone." Trace moved away , allowing the others to see three large white pillars embroided with Digital code.

"The Artefacts." Will said quietly. He'd lost all hope of them ever finding them. His heart sank as he rememebered what Trace had said. One had been destroyed. They needed all four for them to work. Only three existed.

"I know, I know. We'll have to make do with three." Trace said fist bumped with Tai. Trace winched, he'd obviously hurt his hand.

"Would you come?" Will turned to Alex Stone. They'd really need him. He knew the Nightmare world better than anyone else.

"Can't. You know the risk is too big. I'll stay with some of the others and watch the gate though. Make sure it doesn't close on you." Will nodded. Will reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a pair of black fingerless gloves and carefully pulled them on. He walked over to the bag before looking back at the group. He wished he could do this alone, but he knew he needed them. In that second, he realised they needed each other.

"Tai, Matt, we'll need Omnimon." Both of the boys nodded. Will turned and looked at Trace.

"As if I could stop you coming anyway. Gaiomon will be good." Trace folded his arms and grinned. Will didn't want to take anyone else. His eyes fell on two others.

"Davis, Ken, we'll need imperaildramon's fire power. You in?" Davis nearly collapsed in shock but he shut his mouth and nodded. Ken nodded once.

"We're in." Ken said simply. Will locked eyes with Sora.

"We'll need you guys to watch our backs and make sure we have a way home. You've got the most important job." Will turned to look down on the artefacts again. He knew Sora wanted to fight. He could feel her spirit from where he was standing. Although, she understood. She understood they needed the biggest hitters in the Nightmare world and sadly, she couldn't even reach the ultimate level anymore. Slowly, Will began to throw together a plan in his mind.

"You guys sure you want to do this?" Will asked loud enough for everyone to hear. A chorous of agreement went up. The Digidestined stood as a united front now. For the first time since it had began, they were taking the fight to Alpha Strikemon.


	32. Heart Of The Nightmare

Longest chapter ever...my hand...my head...oh god...

I had an exam yesterday and a fair bit of coursework. I don't think this chapter went as well as it could have. Alas, here it is.

We are practically at the end of this. I have to say, I've had fun writing this. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it.

I hope you read, enjoy and review XD

* * *

A light mist began to fall over the now mostly quiet war zone. Rain fell silently and slowly. The sun itself seem to hide itself away from this now ruined city. The tear in the sky showed the Nightmare world in all it's terrifying glory. Anyone who stared into the gateway for too long felt a chill race up their spine and they would turn away. One set of eyes refused to turn away, ignoring the chill that ran along his skin. He ingored how his knee shook at the very idea of returning. He dismissed the sick feeling in his stomach. Will watched the gateway, half expecting something to come flying out of it. In honesty, he was scared. It had been ageed he and a few others would lead a small attack into the Nightmare world. He didn't want to go back, but he had too. The last time he was there, it had led to his mind being corrupted, creating the entity known as Saxon. A part of his past he'd sooner forget. Will turned and retreated further into the makeshift base. He quickly walked over to the table where a large brown leather bag sat unzipped. Alex Stone stood nearby, making no one stole or even touched the contents. He nodded as Will approached. Will studied the contents slowly. Three large bone white pillars with Digital code covering the white stone. The artefacts that Gennai said could help them, sadly, they needed all four. The fourth had been destroyed during an assault by Alpha Strikemon. Will sat the pillar back down in the bag and turned his attention to his Digivice. It bad begun to beep at him, signalling he had recieved a message. With a few presses of the buttons he read the message.

"What the hell is going in Japan? It's all over the news, the city has been sealed by the military and explosions have torn apart half a city. Are you there? You probably are! It's a Digimon isn't it? You better be alright. I can bring my team in if you need us!

J."

Will chose not to reply to the message and instead exit the menu. His studied his Digivice for few seconds. It looked like any old touch screen phone. Heavy and shiny black. The screen took up at least half of it's overal face and several red buttons littered themsevles below the screen. On both sides of the lower half of the Digivice were dark red grips. Hidden on the back , was a small lense. It was only useful in the Digital world for altering small pieces of code, like changing a lock from being shut , to open. The original purpose of this Digivice was not only to replace his old, broken one, but it was to store corrupt data from the Nightmare world that had leaked into theirs. He had since returned the data to the Nightmare world in an attempt to seal the world off a few months ago, but it had failed. As a result of his attempt to alter the physical state of a Digital world, the Royal Knights now wished to imprision him. He had been meaning to ask Alex Dowski to examine his Digivice and look into the Royal Knights reports. Something clicked in his mind as he studied the symbol on the top right corner of his Digivice. A small golden "S" on it's side intertwined with another "S" but had a broken link. Will quickly reached for an artefact and studied the top of it, making note of the symbols. He made a quick metal note to call Gennai as soon as he could. Will turned to head to the nearest computer as he bumped into Alex Dowski. Before Will could say anything, Alex spoke first.

"Let me come with you to the Nightmare world." Alex didn't move, forcing Will to stand and listen.

"Why on earth do you want to come with us to that place? You're already a Digital being. There's no telling what'll happen to you." Will studied the younger Digital being. He was the guardian of the core of the Digital world. A very powerful Digidestined, Will used to fear him, realising Alex would one day overtake him.

"I can help! Let me come, I'll handle whatever side effects happen. Look, you guys are going to need all the fire power you can get." Alex refused to budge when Will tried to dodge him. Will gave up and simply looked at the Digidestined.

"Fine, but make sure Neo Flamedramon is in his strongest form and we'll move out soon." Will kicked himself mentally. He wasn't usually this easy to argue with. He didn't want to risk anymore than he had too. If they fell, there would be no one left in Odaiba to defend the others. With Alex now joining the advance team, only Trace's team in America, Alex Stone and the original adult team and Reaver were left to hold down the forces. Will had heard rumours of an up and coming team in the Uk, but they weren't ready, none of the teams were truly ready. He'd heard stories of Alex Stone training Digidestined and making his own group, but something didn't seem right about it. He mentally cursed himself as he realised just how defenseless people here would be without them. They were regarded as the most skilled and expreienced Digidestined. Unknown to him, Will imagined Sora scolding him for not having more faith in the other Digidestined. He laughed slightly as he side stepped a perplexed Alex Dowski and made his way to the nearest computer.

Everyone had gathered outside of the makeshift base with their Digimon. It had just stopped raining, the smell of fresh rain still lingered. Tai kept staring towards the large gate way, his eyes lighting up everytime. The sense of adventure was renewed. That was how Tai worked. He'd ignore the fear, the feeling of dread or that sickening sensation in his stomach and he'd just focus on the pure feeling of adventure. Tai did a quick furious jog on the spot before grinning madly, his eyes found the gateway and the grin fell. It was as if looking into that gate at all jsut sucked everything good out of you. He let his hands fall to his and he stared further into the endless gateway. Quietly he muttered one thing as he turned to Davies.

"Go and get Will." Davis turned and nearly fell when he raced into the resturant. He didn't trust Will at all, but he trusted Tai. Davis stopped and stared at the back of Will's head. He was perched infront of a laptop and was speaking in a low, quiet voice. Davis tried to approach quietly , only to hear the end of the conversation.

"Yes, I understand the risk. I'll send a message if...when I return." Will leaned forward and hit something on the keyboard before standing and turning, nearly colliding with Davis. Before Will could ask anything, Davis fliailed widly,

"Tai. Outside. Said to get you." Will just nodded , almost afraid of the young Digidestined before heading outside. Davis looked at the computer screen but there was no trace of anything on it as the screen went black. He watched as Will grabbed the large leather bag before making his way outside. Davis really didn't trust him.

Will quickly stepped outside, his foot almost sinking in a large puddle. He scanned the group, noticing that other Digidestined were nearby, waiting to watch them. He noticed Imperialdramon had changed back to his dragon mode and waited paitiently nearby. Quickly, he stepped up to Tai and Matt and nodded to each of them.

"We think the best thing for us to do would be to have Alpha Strikemon take point with all of us riding on Imperaildramon. We'd have Gaiomon and Omnimon flanking us , with Neo Flamedramon covering our backs." Matt explained quickly. Now Will understood why Imperialdramon was in his dragon form.

"Alright, sounds good." Will nodded, realising Matt and Ken had been the one's to figure out this plan. Davis and Tai seemed too eager for this. Will's eyes fell over Trace and Alex Dowski nearby. They were talking in hushed whispers. Will watched as Trace cast his eyes down before staring at the gateway before looking back at Alex. Quietly, Will walked over them.

"Is Neo Flamedramon ready?" He questioned Alex as he nodded to Trace. Alex said nothing, choosing rather that actions were better than words right now. Neo Flamedramon who had been standing close by emitted a brilliant golden light. Will didn't take his eyes off of the white Digimon. Quickly the golden light broke away from him, revealing his new form. Thick, meancing silver armour covered his wrists , chest and legs. The crest of Life sat proudly on the right gauntlet. Strong black leather wristbands decorated his tail and upper arms. A meancing armoured mask now sat across his face and a large , powerful sword was strapped to his back.

"Paladin mode." He muttered quietly. Will nodded again. He was truly at a loss for words right now. They were doing something that hadn't been done in years. Surviving the Nightmare world would be hard enough, but the coming battle was going to be all or nothing. They had come up with a few plans, but they all knew that it would be pure luck if any of them worked. Silently everyone climbed on Imperialdramon. A sense of fear seemed to ripple across the group as they realised what they were about to do. Davis snapped his goggles into place, the weight of them had always made him feel better. He caught Trace doing the same thing, snapping a pair of black goggles into place on his head. It just seem appropiate. Davis snickered and leaned closer.

"Mine are cooler than yours." Davis gave a smug smirk befoer Trace simply glanced at Davis.

"Mine are bigger." Trace folded his arms as Davis's mouth fell open, at a loss of what to say. Will snickered , causing Davis to glare at him. Will cast his glance sideways to avoid Davis , only to catch Matt embracing Sora in a tight hug. Will watched on as they whispered quietly and secretly to each other. Something sank inside Will, his expression hardened. Was he the only that noticed how close those two seemed? Sora planted a delicate kiss on Matt's forehead. Will folded his arms and looked towards the front of Imperialdramon. He didn't know anything, for all he knew they were just close. He rolled his eyes, he hated long goodbyes.

"Let's go!" His cried out. Tai let loose a cheer of excitement before Davis joined in. Alex and Trace simply glanced at Will. Sora looked up and saw Will's dark expression, staring outwards towards the gate. Everything seem to fall right then. She watched as Matt climbed up and took a place next to Will. A chill raced across her skin. Had she made the right choice? Tai leaned over the side of Imperaildramon and gave Sora a thumbs up, his way of saying they'd be fine. She stood there, in the shadow of the Digimon as they rocketed off and circled once, getting into formation before effortlessly passing through the gateway. No one said anything as they watched the figures slowly get smaller and smaller on the otherside of the gateway. Several Digidestined including Syao and Momaru began to move, getting into posistion at the gate to watch for anything that may could come through. Now, they were on the offensive.

* * *

Dark monsterous clouds glared at the interuders into their domain. They watched, waiting to assault them as they glided across the sky. An endless ocean of grey sand stretched out underneath them as they blitzed further into the Nightmare world. The entire continent they were on was devoid of colour and life, save for a few shadows that moved too fast. Davis and Tai stared around in an odd mix of fear and adventure. Somewhere new, somewhere dangerous. The sight of a city just breached over the horizon on their left. Almost impossibly high towers stretched out. Fires raged at impossible angles.

"That looks like it could be Alpha Strikemon's hide out!" Davis practically cheered. Will shot him a look. He wasn't enjoying being here, something was pulling at the very core of his soul. It felt very familiar, the very same cold dying grey claws that had pulled at his sanity the first time he was here.

"It's a city filled with some of the worse Digimon in existance. The only way to survive is if you make backhand deals. There are row upon row of imprisioned weaker Digimon there. The only way to survive is to fight." A familar pain across an old scar on Will's shoulder. Something inside Davis lit up, but he knew he shouldn't go there.

"Sound's like you know it well." Matt said smoothly. Will faced forward again, keeping his eye on the horizon.

"I do. I was a prisoner there once. David and the others got me out." Will shifted his shoulder, as if making sure it was still there.

"What's stopping literally hundreds of Digimon there just marching into the real world with a massive gateway anyway?" As Matt voiced his question, the group passed over a small settlement in the middle of the endless grey desert. The Digimon there had fired attacks into the sky after them, but none of them reached and they all missed.

"They wouldn't dare go against the Sovereign that imprissioned them here." Will placed a hand to his head, a dull pain began to spread. His tolerence wouldn't hold forever. Trace an Alex noticed Will grimmace and had already decided on a course of action should something happen. Alex Moved closer to Will whilst Trace moved closer to the Digidestined. Alex would use his crest to try and help Will whilst Trace distracted the others.

"In the beginning, from what Messenger records say, Alpha Strikemon was the original Guardian to the Sovereigns. He imprissioned enemies and dangers here, meaning he beat them all in battle. When he was eventually imprissioned here after raising an army, it left a gap. This is where the Royal Knight's came from. The Guardians and Messengers came later, fufilling different needs." Trace explained quickly, pulling attention towards him. His eyes glanced towards Will, a dim light from Alex's hand died down.

"Go check on Ken." Will said quietly to Alex. Alex looked over, Ken was breathing rather quickly as if something was scaring him, a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. Alex nodded.

"If he is so strong and literally has armies terrified of him, why haven't we been attacked?" Matt folded his arms, they were in the dark, in a new world and only one person knew anything.

"Because he know's we're coming and wants us to make it to him." Will felt every set of eye's turn to him, even the Digimon that had heard him. Will glanced at the brown leather bag anxious about the plan.

"So where is tall dark and creepy?" Tai asked as he placed his hands behind his head. Will stared out across the horizon. A group of dark thundering clouds were beginning to swirl and concentrate on one area. The sand below began to run out, revealing soft dangerously brown grass and yellow mouldy earth. Will pointed forward.

"At the eye of that storm." As they passed over the last bits of loose sand, a wall of lightning crashed down, sealing them out of the desert and their way home. No one dared to look back.

The convoy passed a field of juttering dagger like rocks. The rocks circled a raised mound of earth. It stretched up, creating a platform. A large, plain golden brown throne sat at the top. Alpha Strikemon sat in the throne, his armour repaired in patches of mismatched colour and material. He didn't move, just watched as the group landed infront of him. Imperialdramon changed to his more human, fighter mode. He readied his cannon on his arm. Omnimon unleashed his sword but made no move to attack. Neo Flamedramon and Gaiomon moved closer, defending each others flank. Alpha Lightmon stepped forward, a low growl bearly audiable from his throat.

"Welcome, to the Nightmare World. An exact mirror of the dream world. I'm sure one of you is already, acquinted with this place." Alpha Strikemon made no effort to move. Only one Digidestined stepped forward even as his leg trembled.

"Unfortunately. I didn't come here by choice. You trapped my team here!" Will slowly moved his hand to unzip the bag but nothing else. Alpha Strikemon tilted his head, the golden orbs in his element swirled and turned emerald green before back to gold.

"I did not trap you. I did not even lure you here. I tried to get you out. Do you really believe everything your sovereign Azulongmon tells you?" Alpha Strikemon gripped the edges of the throne, nearly crushing it beneath his hands.

"What do you mean by that?" Alex called out. Will and Trace turned to him, of them all, Alex was the most loyal.

"Azulongmon created that rift. Dropped the protector and his team of Guardians into the Nightmare world. It had nothing to do with me. I tried to force them out this world, providing exists and portals, although they never quite made it to them." Alpha Strikemon let a small chuckle escape before he regained his composure. Alex said nothing and clenched his fists. Tai and Matt held back Davis. Several of the group tensed, Gaiomon simply gripped his swords tighter. Will knew what Alpha Strikemon was doing and changed the topic.

"Why did you attack Odaiba? What do you want from the real world? Or even the Digital world?" Will mentally kicked himself. Maybe not the best topic.

"I wanted my freedom." Alpha Strikemon replied simply. Will laughed.

"Freedom? You were put in here for nearly killing the Sovereigns!" Will took another step forward. He wasn't going to back down now.

"I wish I had succedded. Tell me. Is that the only thing they said of me when they told you I was imprissioned here?" Alpha Strikemon's eyes flashed green again.

"It's all I needed to know." Will said calmly, tighening his grip on the bag. The arms of the throne shattered as Alpha Strikemon clenched his fists.

"It is time I told you a story." Alpha Strikemon unclenched his fist and the throne rebuilt itself almost instantly.

"Long ago, the race of Warrior Strikemon were used to protect the Sovereigns. We fought and died for them against their enemies. For years, we stood by, loyal to our commanders. We obeyed their orders, defended, hunted and killed on commad. There was one, a female Warrior Strikemon. She and I were team mates and over time, we became more. I loved her. We became life partners, but the sovereigns forbid us from being together. They tried to split us! Tear us apart!" Alpha Strikemon slammed a hand through the thrones arm rest. Everyone stepped back.

"During this time we realised, we were being treated like slaves. Used to fight their battles. Their entire armies were all treated like slaves. A war machine!" Alpha Strikemon stood as the throne repaired itself again.

"We decided it was time to act. We made a stand and raised an army. My life partner and I fought side by side. We nearly died together! In our final moments, we Digivolved together. Into this. One final battle agains't the Sovereigns to stop what they were doing. Enslaving the Digital world. We failed. I was imprissoned here and my army destroyed. Do you know how long it's been since I've heard _her _voice?" Black terrifying clouds gathered above Alpha Strikemon, as he sat down once again. No one dared to say anything or even move.

"It doesn't excuse what you did. Innocent people are dead because of you." Will didn't budge and locked eyes with Alpha Strikemon.

"I see.I'd expect nothing less from you. There is no convincing you." Alpha Strikemon stood and the clouds began to loom dangerously close before engulfing Alpha Strikemon.

"I shall give you what you came here for. First, allow me to take my more preferred form." A monsterously huge lightning bolt crashed into the black clouds as they were torn away. Everyone stood back, even Will leapt down from the platform and joined the others. Violent blood red armour covered every inch of Alpha Strikemon's body. Black chain mail stretched underneath the armour across the neck and arms. Two demonic bat like wings unfolded behind him.

"Did he just Digivolve!" Davis practically screamed. Omnimon and Alpha Lightmon stepped forward.

"That's not possible!" Neo Flamedramon and Alex echanged panicked looks. Alpha Strikemon's helmet had grown two long pointed horns and black Digital code ran up the length of the left side of his body.

"Impossible or not, we'll stop him!" Trace and Gaimon shouted at the same time. Gaiomon leapt forward at an impossible speed, his swords well aimed in an expert moved. Alpha Strikemon took one step to the right, his pointed boots even had horns, and backhanded Gaiomon out of the air.

"Shall we begin?" Alpha Strikemon brought his hand to his side, beginning to pull the sword from it's seath.

"Everyone, move!" Will shouted as he tore the bag open and pulled free the three artefacts. He moved in the opposite direction to the others before tossing one artefact to Matt and Tai. Pulling free the next one, he threw it carefully to Davis and Ken. Will breathed a sigh of relief when Ken caught it after Davis nearly dropped it. Will threw the last one to Trace and Alex. The three nodded and suddenly everyone was running in a different direction. Will threw the bag back over his shoulder and took off, pushing forward. One glance to the side and he watched Omnimon and Alpha Strikemon engage in a sword duel. Omnimon towered over his opponent as they raced into the sky.

"Those artefact are made from the armour of my life partner! How dare you use them!" Alpha Strikemon shot away from Omnimon, headed straight for Davis and Ken.

"Not so fast!" Imperaildramon tackled Alpha Strikemon right out of the path of Davis and Ken as they kept going. Alpha Strikmon twisted from Imperaildramon's grip before aiming a punch into the large dragon knight's throat. Alpha Strikemon's right arm erupted in a large cone of red lightning. In a flash of movement, Imperaildramon crashed into the ground , his body being constricted by the red lightning. Neo Flamedramon tightened the grip on his sword and raced into battle. Alpha Strikemon actually made an effort to dodge , Neo's sword just scratching the surface of his armour and wings. So far, he'd lasted the longest. Neo raised his sword in a bright white light, before he was able to bring it down, Alpha Strikemon slammed a fist into his midsection, knocking Neo away. Alpha Strikemon turned and marched towards the closest Digidestined. Davis and ken. Davis looked over and his eyes widened.

"Crap!" Ken didn't even need to look back, both he and Davis ran quicker.

"Forget about me?" Alpha Lightmon tackled Alpha Strikemon to the ground, Alpha Lightmon moved quicker and with one attack Alpha Strikemon was launched into the air. Alpha Strikemon righted himself using his wings. Alpha Lightmon kicked off and took after the knight. The injury in Alpha Lightmon's shoulder flared with pain. The two engaged in a furious duel of lightning, gold and red flashes flying off in every direction. Alpha Strikemon twisted and lanuched a spear of red lightning that crashed into Alpha Lightmon's leg.

"Lightning rage!" Alpha Lightmon's body erupted in gold lightning as his collision course sent him hurtling into Alpha Strikemon. The two crashed into the ground and exploded in a hail of gold sparks and rocks soaring in different directions. Quickly the Digimon gathered, waiting to see who would emerge. Alpha Strikemon shot into the air, a web of blue lines racing after him. Neo Flamedramon appeared above Alpha Strikemon, one well placed knicked to the neck sent Alpha Strikemon into the web of blue light. Gaiomon brought his swords together and a giant orb of shining pale blue light trapped Alpha Strikemon.

"Did it work?" Neo asked as he floated next to Gaimon. Gaiomon forced his swords to stay together.

"I don't know. He shouldn't be struggling this much!" The blue web exploded outwards, shredding Neo and Gaiomon before Alpha Strikemon rushed forward. Alpha Strikemon was a blur of movement, one well aimed kick and another back handed slam and Gaiomon and Neo fell out of the sky. Alpha Lightmon tore into the sky, his blade connecting with the back of Alpha Strikemon. The two engaged in a furious duel once more. All they had to do was hold him back.

The two broke apart and stared at each other.

"You are very much like me when I met her. Strong. Righteous. Determined." Alpha Strikemon never saw the attack coming.

"Garuru cannon!" Alpha Strikemon erupted into flames as Alpha Lightmon shot away to join Omnimon and Imperaildramon.

"Now!" Imperaildramon and Omnimon levelled their cannons as Alpha Lightmon readed his attack. The figure of Alpha Strikemon could just be seen through the smoke.

"Giga crusher!" Imperaildramon's crannon emerged from his chest piece and unleashed a blast of energy so strong it destroyed virutally everything.

"Garuru cannon!" A hail of shots raced forward from Omnimon, each more powerful than the last.

"Alpha cannon!" Alpha Lightmon opened the gate infront of him, letting the rapid white blast soar towards Alpha Strikemon. The three met in a magnificent blast , blinding them all. Within seconds, there was nothing left but a huge crater.

"Did that do it?" Omnimon asked, flexing his sword arm. Alpha Lightmon watched as the cores he used vanished completely.

"Get out of here." Alpha Lightmon said quickly before tackling a red blur and falling to the ground. Imperaildramon went to help him but Omnimon held his sword out before him, blocking him.

"We need to listen to him, you know that." Imperaildramon nodded hesistantly and the two left to take defensive posistions.

The two Alpha's fought back and forth, tearing apart the landscape.

"We're ready!" A call cried out. Alpha Lightmon took the signal and began to put the plan into motion.

"Lightning cage!" He leapt back and with a flick of his wrist, pillars of lightning crashed down, surrounding Alpha Strikemon. Alpha Lightmon took off, racing away from the area. Alpha Strikemon tried to break the prision with his bare hands but failed. His eyes caught the glimpse of several white pillars stuck into the ground. He failed to spot anything else till Will raced to a spot infront of him. Will stuck a black pole into the ground, his Digivice taped to it.

"Gennai told me something. He told me my Digivice carries properties similar to those artefacts. My Digivice can also hold huge amounts of data , making it a fourth artefact when used with those." Will pressed a single button on the top of his Digivice and a light erupted from it, hitting the next artefact near Tai and Matt. The light then raced to the next artefact with Davis and Ken before finally reaching Trace and Alex. The light finally connected back with Will's Digivice. Four points of light reached into the sky, forming a prision around Alpha Strikemon. The lightning finally broke apart , letting him free. He stared at the four walls of light before walking towards Will. His eyes pierced Will.

" You know I'll be back once my data gathers again." Alpha Strikemon watched on as the light grew brighter.

"I'll be waiting. If you do come back, I'll fight you again." Will folded his arms, the battle was finally over. Alpha Strikemon laughed.

"We'll see about that." The light stretched up and engulfed Alpha Strikemon. Everyone watched as Alpha Strikemon burst into hundreds upon thousands of bits of data. The light became impossible to look at before it simply expolded outwards in a shower of orbs of light that simply floated away into nothing. No one dared to even breath. Will stepped forward and pulled his Digivice from the pole before slipping it back on it's rightful place on his belt.

"Well that was...easier than we thought." Tai said shyly. Matt looked around, his eyes looking for anything at all.

"I have to say, that was one of the less stressful final battles I've been in." Trace placed his hands in his pockets before kicking a rock. Alex and Ken chose to say nothing. Will simply sighed, feeling his body begin to ache.

"It's over, that's what counts." At that moment, the ground rumbled. It was small but quickly grew in force before the ground began to crack and split. Light began to pour out from the cracks in the ground causing everyone to group together.

"What's going on?" Trace shouted over the rumbling.

"I think this place is collapsing! WIthout Alpha Strikemon to support it, it's going to fold in on itself!" Alex Dowski said as calmly as he could. It was not a comfortable thought for any of them.

"Let's get on Imperaildramon and get the hell out of here!" Matt suggested as he list his balance. In a flash of golden light, Imperaildramon changed back to his dragon form and no one wasted anytime in getting on. Within moments, they were rocketing through the air heading for the doorway. Light began to pour out of every crack. Black lines began to appear in the sky as if the sky itself was being removed. Entire cities and mountain ranges were being deleted as they flew past.

"Come on!" Davis yelled, encouraging his partner to go quicker. Imperaildramon weaved in and out of the pillars of light.

"It seems to be getting worse!" Alex Dowski and Ken noticed the rate of the cracks was increasing. A wall of light erupted infront of them, casusing Imperaildramon to go skyward. They didn't even have time to scream as the light engulfed them.


	33. Departure

This is it :( The last true chapter of ride the lightning.

Fear not, there is a prolouge on its way.

I can also reveal...there is a direct sequal to this in the works, this is infact a triology. :P

Is there anything people would like to see especially in the sequal? Let me know!

I hope you all read, enjoy and review the last chapter of "Ride The Lightning"!

* * *

_"You can not seperate two beings of darkness. You may wrap your core in light and bright deeds of justice but it is just a flawed disguise. No matter how much light you drug yourself with, your shadow will grow. All darkness is connected. Every shadow intersects. You and I. We are not so different. We two were born in light, only to fall to shadow. The shadow will rise will meet two more times." _

Breath and light burst forth in a hail of stining pain. Will rocketed upright , his throat burning, his eyes blood shot and his chest heaving for air. The sudden movement of his limbs burned and raged with fury against him. Fresh sweat rolled down his forehead, bathing him.

"Relax it's just -" A familiar voice began near him, but Will forced his own voice out in a painful expression.

"Feedback from rapid travel between dimensional states usually involving unstable gateways." Will grabbed at his throat, fire rising up . burning away any free breath. Will shut his eyes and opened them again, forcing them to become used to his surroundings. A medical ward. A very advanced medical ward. He looked down, noticing he was wearing simple grey clothes, loose and comfortable. His eyes darted around, the others who had been with him to the Nightmare world were dotted around in various beds. Two doors at the end of the room, guarded by two military men, rifles at the ready.

"They're on our side, don't worry." Will looked to the seat next to him, noticing Alex Dowski sitting nearby. Will shot him a confussing look as Alex handed him a glass of water. Will drank it quickly, nearly choking several times between the rushed gulps.

"It turns out the government have been aware of Digimon for a little while. They recognise that we're Digidestined and that we're the...experts of this sort of thing. They've been talking to Tai mostly, as most Digidestined recognise him as the leader." Will nodded, it was a good decision. Tai was good in these situations.

"What happened?" Will asked, his voice was hoarse and sore. Alex already knew what he was referring too.

"The Nightmare World collapsed. The space it occupied still exists, but there is no physical matter now. It's just darkness now, Alpha Strikemon was what kept that world alive, he supported it with his existence. Without him, it lost all physical matter. It's locked down though and we were kicked out from it. Apprantly we shot across the sky in a golden light and crashed down where the gate was. We've been out for a day or two." Alex sat back in his chair and breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Something struck Will with a horrible sense of dread.

"Where's Lightmon!" Will moved quickly, almost pushing himself out of the bed but his limbs hung heavy and felt slow, causing him to stop all movement.

"Relax! It's okay, all the Digimon are being fed and looked after in the canteen here. Do you really think anyone would try anything especially with Black Wargreymon there? We were moved to a military medical facility outside the centre of the city." Alex grinne madly. Will had a horrible feeling Trace had planned something. Will took Alex's advice and sat back. His eyes moved across the room quickly.

"Where are the others?" Will said sharply. He understood he'd be the last to wake, his body had endured too much in the Nightmare world.

"Davis and Ken are with the Digimon. Tai is speaking with General Grile. Trace is off exploring, he snuck out when no one was looking. We're here and Matt's over there." Alex indicated to a bed across from him. Will felt himself relax for just a moment, knowing everyone was okay. Will's eye fell across Matt.

"You, Trace and Matt suffered the heaviest injuries which is why we're still here." Alex explained but his words fell on deaf ears. Matt was lying on the bed, his leg being treated by a nurse. Sora sat near, pressing herself against him in an embrace as Matt winced from the treatment. She held his hand tenderly and whispered to him. The two shared a quick look before he carefully pressed his lips to hers. As they pulled away, a quick blush spread across Sora's features. Alex watched as the colour faded from Will's eyes as Will quickly shut his emotions off.

At that moment, Tai and the General walked in the room. Will's eyes fell across Tai. He was still dressed in what he wore in the Shadow Kingdom but he carried himself with an air of responsibility and duty. The General stood and watched as the Guards left the room and as Tai joined his friends. Tai was grinning madly as usual.

" I understand that you have all shown exceptional courage both now and before in previous times of darkness. I have spoken with the head members of our government and an agreement has been formed. Your leader Taichi knows the details." The General saluted the Digidestined and remained where he stood.

"Why are you so understanding of all this? Most adults are terrified of Digimon." Matt said strongly. The General still did not move.

"You have a secret, don't you General Grile?" Tai almost teased him. The General dropped his salute.

"My daughter and I both gained Digimon partners. We understand fully what your duty is and why you must be allowed to continue." The General almost relaxed. Almost.

"So what now?" Again, Matt voiced his concern.

"The Japanese government will keep this under our control as much as possible. We shall begin negotiating with other countries when the time is right. For now, things will contiue as they are but , we will expect updates regularly. Taichi." The General relaxed his salute and turned to leave.

"That promise I made, It will be kept." Tai crossed his arms and grinned. The General stopped.

"How can you promise that?" His voice was old and weary.

"Because we're the Digidestined." The General nodded and left. No one said anything but simply looked at Tai, who had assumed a huge amount of responsbility.

"Tai stop being so serious, it doesn't suit you." Sora said teasingly. "Just what did you promise him?" Tai turned to both her and Matt and simply said,

"A future where Digimon and humans live together." Tai said it deadly seriously but his voice had an edge of excitment.

"Well, we've got out work cut out for us." Matt said as he allowed his head to fall onto the top of Sora's.

* * *

Several days had passed since the quick meeting with the General and everyone had been reunited with their partners. The total damage of Odaiba had been mainly the business district which was already in the process of being rebuilt , bigger and better than before. The international Digidestined had decided to stick around for a while. Not just by choice but by force. Most were too injured to really travel. Will had been told to rest for several weeks and let his left shoulder and knee heal properlly and take a course of painkillers. Within moments, he and Trace had been knock flying down a flight of stairs. Safe to say, neither of them were leaving anytime soon. Currently, they were sat outside a small coffee shop. Trace and Will had decided to break off from the others to relax , or at least try to. It was the first sunny day for a while. Will had ordered a large mug of tea, where as Trace had ordered coffee. Will had his bandaged leg propped up on a spare chair.

"We won too easily." Will said simply. Trace sighed heavily and took another sip of coffee.

"Maybe we did, but so what? Enjoy the victory. It's over now, we get a break." Trace had noticed Will had been grumpier than usual and had been dwelling on their victory.

"But he was a god and he went down so easily.." Will's thoughts trailled off.

"Did you ever consider maybe he wanted to die?" Trace said quickly. Will looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Will's hand inched closer to this mug of tea.

"He said he hadn't heard _her_ voice in a while. Maybe he just wanted to die so he could hear it again or be with her or whatever happens to Digimon after they're deleted." Trace raised a good point and watched as he left Will speechless.

"I'm sure something happened between us being in the Nightmare world and us being here...I just can't remember it." Will cast his eyes down and tried to remember. Something. Anything at all. He grasped at any loose thread in his mind but found nothing. His dreams had been haunted recently, but he couldnt remember when he woke up. Something was wrong but he couldn't find it.

"Relax! Look, we won! Enjoy this! You've done your duty and what you were meant to do. It's over." Will looked at Trace before exhalling heavily and laughing.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just paranoid." Will ran a hand through his nicer but still shaggy hair. He supposed he was just so used to fighting, something would go wrong.

"Good. Now, what you going to do after this? Once we can travel I mean." Trace asked, curious to what the older boy's answer would be. Will sat back and had no answer.

"I suppose, I could go to the Uk again. Study something in university. Don't know what though." Will muttered quietly at the end.

"What about history? You seemed good at finding artefacts and from what Alex said, you've explored a lot of temples and ruins in the Digital world before this. Maybe archaeology?" Trace said it simply, but Will's head snapped up.

"Maybe. It does sound good. I just wish Alex would stop reading up on our records. He's like a stalker sometimes!" Will and Trace laughed and settled into the moment of clam.

"I heard he went back to the core anyway, something about it that needs to be checked." Trace said offhandly. Will looked at the younger boy. He was strong and intelligent. His partner was fierece. Will made a mental note to keep a closer eye on Trace. He was going to surpass him someday very soon, along with Alex.

"What about you ?What are you going to do?" Will asked simply. Trace set his cup down heavily.

"I'm going home to see Jessie and the others. It's been a while, but then I'm going to join Reaver and track down Jack. He needs to be stopped." Will sat up straight.

"You got his location?" Trace nodded. "Well, make sure you spend some time with Jessie soon." Trace nodded and heeded the older boys words. Will took another sip from his mug.

"Let me know if you need any help. The Guardians...or what's left of us, will be happy to help." Will said quickly. He honestly wanted to help, but Lightmon needed to rest. Lightmon had spent the better part of the last few days as a Tsunomon.

"How are the Guardians doing? I heard there aren't many of you left." Trace had always kept a keen intrest with the Guardians.

"There's only about a sixth of us left. The captains stayed and around thirty others did too. We're not really a force with any power now but we're going to contiue on. There's a meeting next week to decide where each of us goes and who we watch over , blah blah blah." Will dropped his head into one of his hands.

"You sound..bored of it." Trace had noticed the older Digidestined slowly become less interested in the Guardians.

"I am a little. I miss being an independent agent like when we meet. It was easier." Will sat up and drank more of his tea quickly.

"Well, you're always welcome to come visit the messengers." Trace sat back before Will changed topic yet again.

"I hear the Royal Knights are after you too now. What did you do?" Trace stifled a laugh.

" Myself and Black Wargreymon had a run in with them when we were searching for the Artefact. We entered a sacred location and they attacked us. We defended ourselves and escaped." Both he and Will had low opinions of the Royal Knights.

"Let me know if I can help, they're still chasing me." Both boys laughed. It was a serious issue to be hunted by the Royal Knights, but they weren't afraid. They were both willing to fight untill the true leader of the Royal Knights returned. Trace drank more of his coffee before the two Digidestined began to talk about anything that came to mind. The main topic being the chaos that followed whenever the two of them hung out with Alex. Will savoured these few days of peace. Soon, Trace and the others had left, leaving Will the only one in Odaiba.

* * *

The next week, Will had to visit Gennai's broken house turned Guardian headquaters. The meeting had taken hours. Hours he had been stuck in the heavy white leather coat with his dark red crest on his back. As Will looked around, he noticed similar emotions on the face of the other head Guardians. Will watched as Cole practically fell asleep in his seat. He didn't dare turn his head, but he felt someone staring at him, watching him intently. Quickly, his patience ran out and he interupted Gennai during his report.

"Willis, if you must continue perving on me, do it in your own time!" Will sat back in his chair as Willis's mouth hung open. Gennai smirked and continued his report.

"Omega Strikemon appears to have survived the battle in Odaiba but we have no leads or sightings on him. Until he emerges again, we must remain alert. This will become a joint operation between us and the Messengers so that we can cover more ground. Will, Alex Dowski, I trust you two will work with Trace well and report back to us when needed." Will and Alex looked at each other and nodded.

"I would send Alex Stone with you but he has...gone missing." Gennai gave Will a look and Will understood instantly. Alex Stone was away doing something dangerous. Very dangerous. Wether he was acting independently or with his team Will didn't know, but he did know he had linked up with Trace. They were after all, from the state. Will's thoughts drifted. They shouldn't have won so easily so why did they? He had spoken with Alex Stone and they both shared the same curiousity to the issue. Will feared Alpha Strikemon was right and he would come back. Maybe even stronger. Will cast the thought from his mind. He hadn't just deleted him, he had used the artfeact to seal him. As far as Will's knowledge of the Digital went, they had won a complete victory. Will's Digivce whined at him. He looked quickly and stood.

"Excuse me Gennai, I will return when I am able too." Gennai nodded. Willis stood and followed him. Will walked quickly down the corridor, headed towards the nearest exit. As Will made it down a pure white corridor , Willis's voice carried down towards him.

"You know Will, history has proved, there is always someone willing to challenge their leader. That someone is usually better than the said leader." There was a smug tone to Willis's voice but Will kept walking and without even turning he replied.

"Bring it on! I enjoy a good competition." Will didn't stop moving, choosing not to even look at Willis.

Will arrived in a small clearing, not far away from the message on his Digivice has asked him to come to a small clearing nearby in the forest. Will arrived exactly ontop of where he was asked to come and he stood , looking all around him. For once he was grateful for the coat as it kept him warm in the chilly nights breeze.

"You proved yourself worthy of the power of the D-core. I'm impressed. Now there is a vaccum however, left by Alpha Strikemon's presence. Many will compete to take his place, but you already know who is going to take it." Will turned, looking around frantically before realising it was just a voice. The voice of the same Digimon who had allowed them to wield the power of the D-cores.

"Delmon! Where are you?" Will hated when Digimon did this to him.

"I'm only delievering a message my friend. Nearby you will find something that will help in the future in the fight against the darkness." Will slumped forward and marched off towards what he could see. A small cave. He quickly entered and moved as quickly as the cave would permit him too.

"When the Strikemon were banished, another group was formed to help the sovereigns. A group now long forgotten. They were created at the same time as the seven great demon lords. They were known as the Olympus twelve. Tweleve powerful Digimon who fought and protected the Digital world. Their power will be needed again." Will stumbled but regained his balance.

"How do we get their power?" Will shouted out, as he stumbled further into the cave.

"You personally will not use their power but you shall play a vital role by bringing together those who are chosen to wield their power." Will almost wished to protest. He didn't like the idea of not being completely involved with what came next, but he realised he would still have a part to play. Will crashed forward and landed infront of a small stone white classical Greek alter. Will picked himself up and stared at the six different coloured cubes ontop.

"Why are there only six? I thought you said tweleve!" Will panicked, had something gone wrong.

"Reformatting their powers was a very difficult task. I only managed to salvage six. However, six will be enough. Six chosen Digidestined who will stand against the worst foe our reality will ever face. Inside each of those cases, is something special for each of those chosen. When they are worthy, it will open to each individual. You must keep these safe untill that time arrives." Delmon's voice seemed to be getting quieter but Will didn't notice. Will reached out and held the first cube. It was bright orange, a symbol of the sun was engraved into each side. Will picked up the next one, a dark grey box with a moon carved into each side.

"How will I know who to give these too?" Will recieved no answer.

"Delmon?" Will cursed, realising he was alone. Will set down the two small cases and took out his Digivice. Within moments, he had sent a message to Trace and Alex Dowski to come help him with something.

* * *

The time for Will to leave had finally come. It had been over two weeks since Will was directed to find the six O12 cases, as he now referred to them. He, Alex and Trace had agreed to allow Alex to store them somewhere safe untill somewhere suitable came up. They agreed to tell no one else. Not even Gennai or Azulongmon. Will stood in the exact middle of a bridge, staring down into the river below.

"Do you really have to go?" The girl next to him asked with a pleading tone. He turned and looked at Sora Takenouchi.

"Sadly, yeah." Truth be told, he didn't want to leave. If he was being completely honest, he didn't want to leave _her_. Why couldn't he be like Syao? Syao had annouced his decision to stay. No one needed to be told it had something to do with Kari.

"What are you going to do?" Her voice was always sweet, at least to him. He just wanted to stay close to her. A part of him told him he shouldn't be there. He didn't belong there. He was her and Matt's Guardian. They were never meant to have met.

"I'm going to Wales to study Archaeology. I also have a new team I've been asked to look over, so I'll be looking out for them time to time." Will looked back into the river. She was with Matt now. He hadn't seen it coming, but if he had the slightest chance of being with her it was gone now.

"Are you going to come back? You did say you'd come to the city ball in a few weeks." Will cursed silently. He had agreed to go to an annual event in the city, it was basically a large ball. Formal dressing, meal and dancing. Matt had been asked to preform with his band. Sora always got tickets because of her mothers connections.

"I'll come back for it, I promise." Will bowed his head. He'd never break a promise to her if he could help it. He made a mental note to get tickets for Trace and Jessie. It would be a nice break for them. Sora moved closer.

"What about christmas? You agreed to that!" She gave him a stern look. The same look he had fallen in love with. Will gave a defeated sigh and laughed.

" I'll come back for that too." Will laughed again "I'll even dress as an elf!" He instantly regretted saying that as Sora punched him playfully in the arm.

"You'll have to keep your word now!" Sora moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Without even thinking, he wrapped an arm around her waist and she pulled herself closer into him. They said nothing, just enjoying each others embrace. In that one quiet moment, Will realised he could never truly leave Odaiba. He would keep coming back year after year. Not just to do his duty, but to see her.

"Hey, Will?" She said quietly.

"Yeah, Sora?" He replied ina weak voice.

"You're not going to break your promise are you?" She clung to him tighter, worried he'd run away. He simply replied,

"I woudn't dare."

* * *

I was wondering if people could tell me what they've liked most and hated most about this story? I'm curious :P

I'd also like to hear if people would like to see something special in the next story.

Onto the epilouge!


	34. Epilouge

Wow, this is the end. Over 130 Reviews. I can't believe I actually finished this. I almost don't want this story to end.

I'll admit, I changed the story a lot on my way to this point and I'm not completely happy with how some chapters turned out in the end, but you know what? It's still been a hell of a lot of fun writing this...even if I did kill off most of my own characters lol

Have no fear if you're an avid fan of Will and Lightmon, they returns in the next story. The final part of this triology.

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to review, i really appreciate all the comments both good and bad. The reviews are what have kept me going throughout this and are the main reason this was completed.

I started Trial and error as a way to introduce a close friend of mine to Digimon , she knows who she is, she's reading this right now...yes I know what you're thinking. She has now become a fan of Will and Lightmon and always bugs me to update when ever I can, without her this story probabl wouldn't be finished till october lol

I hope you've all read, enjoyed and reviewed.

Now, for the final moments of "Ride The Lightning".

* * *

_Several Months later _

Time had passed grudgingly slow for Sora. Her and Matt had been going steady for a little while now and she was honestly happy. Tennis was going well, she'd even been invited to a professional tournament next year. She carefully played with the edges of her hair, as she tried to dodge a question.

"Come on! Tell me! You owe me the details!" A girl sat across from him, luminous pink hair. Mimi. The Digidestined of sinceirty. She had recently moved back after hearing about the Alpha Strikemon incident. She had apologised heavily for not being able to help. The two girls were currently sat on Sora's sofa, Sora couldn't help but notice Mimi had taken Will's spot.

"Okay! Fine!" Sora finally gave in, but not before having a sip from her cup of tea. Mimi nearly stared at it in disgust, preferring her coffee. Mimi had recently moved back and all she heard were stories about internation Digidestined. A digital being from America. The head of a secret group of Digidestined messengers from America. A leader of another team from somewhere else in the world who had taken a liking to Kari and finally, an independent Digidestined. The Guardian.

"A group of Digimon attacked Odaiba, just hit and run but I captured along with a few others. I was held somewhere in the desert of Server. It brought back a lot of awful memories." Sora stared down into her tea as she remembered howshe was recused the first time by Tai.

"He just walked in and walked me right out of there. Their strength, his and Lightmon's, it's terrifying. Lightmon is adorable though! I remember he tried to eat Will's hair once he stayed here." A small blush crept onto Sora's features.

"He stayed the night?" Mimi asked in a sly voice as she leaned closer. Sora's face reddened at an alarming rate.

"Not like that!" Sora took another sip from her tea in an attempt to hide her blush. Mimi knew it all too well and simply smirked.

"So what's he like?" Mimi asked with honest curiousity. She had heard stories from Kari and the others about him.

"He's nice. He's quite shy at first but once you get to know him he just relaxes and he's...fun. I can't help but feel he's lonely though. His eyes are always so empty and tired. But he's kind, he reminds me of Tai in someways when he gets energetic." Sora took another sip from her tea and simply stared at the liquid.

"But there have been moments , when he's been fighting and he'll become completely fearless. Nothing will move him and he won't back down. He'll stay till the fight is done. I've seen scars on his back. But he shows the greatest compassion and he cares about everyone." Sora's eyes fell when she realised at that moment just how much she missed him. Mimi made mental notes of his character. One thing stoo out to her, one vital part and it made her wonder.

"So...you've seen him topless then?" She teased Sora. Sora's blush returned again.

"No! I just walked past his room once and he was putting a t-shirt on and his back had scars on it." Sora rushed her words, she already knew Mimi would put together some fantasy in her mind.

"So you two are really close?" Mimi asked innocently. Sora looked up and thought for a moment. All the times they had ever held each other, or spoken in hushed whispers or made private jokes rushed to the surface of her mind. Something inside her began to crave him, wanting him to be there with her. She already knew he'd be making fun of Mimi's hair.

"Yeah. We are." Sora smiled slightly. Mimi caught it instantly and recognised it.

"You know, I've met him before. Trace too." Mimi said it simply. Sora looked up.

"How?" Her question was urgent.

"Just a month or two ago. In New York, they were tracking someone down and ended up helping with a lost Digimon. Then I met them again in Florida. Something about missing Digidestined. They were with some guy dressed all in white." Mimi said it as plain as day.

"Alex Dowski." Sora filled in the blank for her friend. Sora was glad. He was okay, still out and about like normal. Her heart leapt. That meant he'd be returning soon. He always popped back when he finished some mission or some request. The last time they'd seen each other was at christmas which involved an incident with some mistletoe.

"I have to admit, he's quite cute." Mimi teased. Sora simply shook her head. The doorbell suddenly went and Sora leapt up to answer it. Mimi watched as her friend walked quickly to the door. She knew exactly what she had to do and a devious plan of love formed in her mind. A smirk grew on Mimi's face , already giddy with her plan. Mimi watched as Sora opened the door to a taller blonde man. Yamato Ishida.. Without a word, the two leaned in for a kiss. Mimi's eyes widened in shock. Things suddenly were more complicated for her friend than she realised.

"Oh Sora..."

* * *

Somewhere, in America , a figure raced along the roof of a large building. He was pushing his body as hard as possible. He hated leaving Trace like he just did. The Royal Knights attacked, scattering their rag tag group. Whilst trying to link up with Trace, a group had started following him. Will didn't even stop as he reached the edge of the roof. He leapt cleanly across to the next building. One of the young men stopped at the edge with his Digimon partner and stared at the distance.

"Impossible.." was all he could muster. Will rolled and was quickly back on his feet running again. His eyes darted to the left to see his partner, Warrior Strikemon contending with several other Digimon. Will grinned, he was enjoying himself. He wasn't dressed in his tradional outfit, but in plain black torn jeans and a heavy red leather jacket with a royal dark blue shirt underneath. Without warning, several Digimon dropped infront of him. He side stepped them easily and kept going before leaping to the next building. The Digimon stopped and stared at the figure racing away from at monsterous speed.

"How is he doing this!" One of the Digimon growled. Will kept going, Warrior Strikemon racing alongside him on the next set of buildings. Something tackled Warrior Strikemon from no where but Will kept going. His partner could handle himself. Will watched as several Digidestined dropped infront of him. He looked up to see their partners circling above him. He kept going. He was too fast for them, he slamming his fist into the stomach of one before spinning and ramming his elbow into the face of the other. Turning gracefully on his heel, he took off. Will was forced to stop as a wall of flying Digimon rose up infront of him. He turned to see the Digidestined surrounding him.

"Just come with us and there'll be no trouble." Will grinned as their leader spoke.

"I don't care who you are, but you attacked me. That's a very dangerous thing to do." Will smiled, he knew his partner wasn't far. The Digidestined watched Will with keen eyes. His smile was playful and dangerous. His eyes were savage and hungry. He sent a chill up the spine of every living thing nearby just by breathing.

"Just come-" The leader was quickly cut off.

"You attack me and my partner out of the blue and you expect me to do what you want!" Will's voice cut through any determination they had.

"Enough playing around." His was voice low, almost as if it was a growl. Will pulled his Digivice out and it erupted in a whine of sound. It was shaking, as a red light burst out from it. The red light quickly engulfed them, leaving no one to hear their screams.

* * *

And there it is. We're truly finished till the next story.

I would like to thank everyone who submitted an Oc or even an event idea to me for use in this story. It's been fun, see you in the next story. I'm going to update "The War On The Homefront" first but fear not. The sequal will come out soon and it is a direct sequal as well.

By the way, it comes out later this week. See you soon :P


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